


Snow

by Aragem



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Crash Landing, F/M, Falling In Love, Galra Big Bang, Isolation, Romance, Survival, kallura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 09:42:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20329081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aragem/pseuds/Aragem
Summary: An AU of what happened at the end of Season 2.Kolivan and Allura crash land on a desolated ice planet.  Alone, with no hope of rescue, they eke out a living in the snow and ice, where the world has unpredictable days and nights, and frost is constant.  They find in each other a will to keep going and a means to hope and love.For updates and more, go to my Tumblr page: RebelCourtesan





	Snow

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Galra Bang. Artist Partner is PuddingMcMuffin.
> 
> https://puddingmcmuffin.tumblr.com/post/187149808221/my-pieces-for-the-galrabigbang-event-i-was

**Day 20**

A storm was coming. He saw it looming from the edge of the white mountains. It was coming fast and would hit them within hours. They would need to move to better shelter. The escape pod’s power cell drained three days ago and with it the heating system.

His legs sank into the deep snow to his knees. It was still soft and powdery from last night’s dusting, making it malleable to move through. He churned through the snow, not wasting any time to return to the shelter. The wind tugged at his hood and blew against his mask. Thankfully their power suits still have enough power to keep them warm outside of the pod.

The pod had crashed into a mountain and had fallen twenty feet at the edge of an escarpment. They were able to get the pod to move several yards from the edge so it wasn’t tilting precariously over a 200 kilometer drop. He dropped the kindling by the remains of a campfire and proceed inside.

She was still asleep on the bundle of blankets they had turned into a nest. They took turns sleeping while the other kept watch or carried out chores around the shelter. Once they ascertained there was no dangerous wildlife in the area, he was comfortable to leave her alone to collect wood and seek other sources of food.

Her small form stirred slightly when he lifted the canvas that covered the exit and entrance way of the pod. When it began losing power, they opened the hatch so they wouldn’t be trapped within the dead ship. Cold air licked around his form, chasing the precious heat away. She lifted her head, her pearl-white hair handing like a curtain over her shoulders.

“What’s wrong?”

“Storm,” he said reaching for their knapsacks. “We have to leave or we’ll freeze.”

She rose, sweeping her hair into a bun with deft fingers. “How long do we have?”

“A few hours before it arrives, but it’s uncertain how long the day will last.”

The first thing they learned about this planet was its unpredictable days and nights. Due to its many moons, of all various sizes, the planet endured multiple eclipses which made the day and night cycle last only a handful of hours. This cause the planet's temperature to rise and fall at unprecedented speeds. Allura nearly caught hypothermia due to being caught outdoors without her all-temperature cloak when a sudden night fell. They had tried to calculate the length of darkness and light, but a feat proved harder with lack of proper instruments. Instead, they relied upon Universal Clock (UC) to count the days.

She gathered their supplies and tools while he took apart the solar-powered camp stove and stowed it into his pack. They had to take everything or lose it for good. It didn’t often storm, but when it did, the snow from it buried everything. Since the pod landed on an escarpment, it had been easy enough to push the snow over the edge to make it easy to traverse outside. The last storm made it nearly impossible to get out even with the pod’s heating system melting the ice around them. They had to work together to tunnel through it and clear it away.

“How far is it?”

She asked once she came out shouldering two heavy bags.

“Five miles down,” he said tying a bundle of kindling to his bag. “Most of the way is downhill so we should move quickly.”

“Then let’s go,” she said taking the first of many steps towards their destination.

She did look back, however, with longing, but then resolutely turned away. The pod was their last connection to the Universe, but it was only a shelter now, soon to be a defunct one. When the pod’s power died, so too their chances of radioing rescue or Voltron.

**Day 2**

“Nothing is getting through.” She slammed a hand on the console in utter frustration.

She had been working on the comms for nearly three hours straight, despite having one arm in a sling. The Princess shoved aside the delicate engineering tools in a derisive manner in a clear wish for her expert teammates to be present.

Kolivan was taking stock of their supplies when he heard her outburst. He quietly put away the rations bars. They had enough supplies to last them a week, maybe more, if they ration carefully between the two of them. He collected a steaming mug from a brewer that had survived the crash and offered it to her.

“You should rest. You’re too tired to concentrate,” he said gently.

There was a pause, a sudden tightening around the edges of her eyes, almost imperceptive, but he caught it. She accepted the tea and brought it to her lips. “Thank you, but I can’t rest. Not until we know . . . we know what happened.”

He knew what she wanted to say as he felt the same. Did the mission succeed? Was Zarkon dead? Had Voltron succeeded in the killing the eon old tyrant? And were the Paladins still alive?

She worked with the comms unit for many hours before until he found her slump across the open panels. He drew a blanket across her shoulders and went back to work repairing the pod. He wasn't a novice when it came to repairing ships, but even this was beyond his skill.

She could never get the comms to work and nor could he repair the pod to full functionality.

**Day 20**

She never complained nor would she of the heavy supplies and gear at her back. Her arm had healed quickly thanks to Altean’s fast healing biology and Galra advance medicine, but her stamina couldn’t match his. He cut through the snow forming an easier path for her behind him. It did help, but he heard her panting behind him and could smell the sweat on her skin. He wouldn’t dishonor her courage by offering help she would refuse. He admired her strength and determination and knew she would keep up despite her exhaustion.

Days after the crash, he scouted the mountain. Found a source of water in a frozen scream and the cave. It carried the old scents of hibernating animals and bones. The inside was warm and kept the cold away, it was a good place to retreat to if anything should happen to the pod. The cave also proved the planet had sustained life at one point in its history and the not so distant past at that.

The night would be upon them within a few hours. Night and Day didn’t change within hours but took mere minutes to darken and brighten the world. With the night came the bitter cold that sank into the bone and froze the marrow.

He had been on ice worlds before during his military career within the Empire and as an agent of the Blades. He knew how to survive in the ice and frost. Galra physiology was geared towards adapting and surviving in any environment. Be it a desert, a jungle, or a frozen wasteland. Already his fur had become thicker for added warmth and he could now go for longer spans between meals.

He doubted Atleans were granted such advantages in extreme weather. Thankfully, they had the technology to make up the difference in their physiology. Her power suit will keep hypothermia at bay. Still, she shivered as the snow, the early signs of the approaching storm, pelted her body. Flakes clung to her hair, making it almost glow. Some of it clung to her dark lashes, her eyes closed to protect them against the ice.

They couldn’t have arrived at the cave just as the sky turned dark. He held up an energy lamp to light the interior. The princess stared inside, her expression unreadable.

She was the royal princess of the most powerful race in the universe before the Galra took that role. She had been housed in castles, manors, villas, and made her home in the Castle of Lions. Now she looked at a home of rock and dirt where animals had once slept and bred. Craning her head towards him, she offered a warm smile, “It looks cozy.”

**Day 22**

The storm lasted longer for nearly two quintant. The mouth of the cave was angled at such a way that it kept the window from blowing inside. Allura explored deep inside where it was warmest while he watched the storm rage outside.

Animals had lived in this cavern so then there was sustenance to be found. If they were going to survive, they must find another source of food. Their meager supply of rations will only last so long despite the long stretches between his meals. Allura worried he wasn’t eating enough and told him to eat more. He assured her that his Galra nature allowed him to last longer with less food. Once the storm ended, he would go hunting

Her voice echoed from the back of the cave. “I found something.”

She was holding a lantern high and peering closely at a wall. The light revealed images painted in crude marks of chalk or some other substance. Small figures surrounded a large creature with black spots for eyes and bristles.

“People are alive on this planet,” she said, relief filling her voice. “We may not be alone.”

“Princess, this only proves this planet had sentient life at one point. It does not mean they have progressed to the point of intergalactic communications. Some civilizations don’t make it to the space flight period. Anything could have happened to them from a planetary catastrophe to a world war that kept them from advancing.”

She lowered her hand, expression crestfallen. “Sometimes advanced civilizations can suffer the same fate.”

Altea, the most advanced planet in the Universe, wasn’t immune to destruction. Zarkon himself personally saw to the annihilation of the Altean race, going on a genocidal spree that spread across Universe until only two survived, the princess and her father’s adviser.

He regretted reminding the princess of her fallen people. “I’m sorry. I should not have . . .”

“It’s alright,” she said. “This is a good sign, is it not? It means this planet can support life.”

“Yes, princess. I shall scout for food once the storm ends.”

“I’ll go too. There’s nothing I can do here.”

Due to years of training and meditation, he was able to still any physical signs of disconcerting feelings. “Princess, I alone should go. I have experience hunting in cold environments and I can move faster alone.”

She pursed her lips as if she wanted to argue, but relented. “Very well. I must admit I have very little experience in hunting. I’ll stay here and . . .tidy up the place?”

**Day 24**

He returned empty-handed, but with a clearer picture of the surrounding region. He found a river that wrapped around the base and fed into a lake. It was all frozen solid, safe to walk across without fear of cracking ice. Around the lake was copse of frozen trees, their branches and leaves a lost memory. At least they can have a fire to cook food if he should find any.

The second day, he found obvious signs of game at the water’s edge. There was a hole in the ice where something had chewed through to drink and left a trail in the snow. He followed it towards a hole at the base of a tree and waited. Within the hour, a creature crept from the hole, small with white fur. It hoped out, preening long ears, and clicking the long teeth it had used to cut through ice.

Kolivan struck before it had a chance to dash back into its hole. He threw a piece of ice with deft precision and the creature fell over dead. With the creature and the ice lake, they had a source of clean water and food and a burden rolled off his shoulders. They would survive as long as it took for rescue to find them.

**Day 30**

She was having bad dreams. He heard her fearful moans while she slept and ignored them. To bring attention to them may bring her discomfort or shame her. Sometimes she cried out for her father, begging him not to leave her behind. Other times, she cursed Zarkon and the Galra.

**Day 35**

She never spoke about her dreams, though they betrayed her in the dark circles beneath her eyes. He's seen her watching the sky. Perhaps for telltale color streams announcing the Lions’ arrival. The sky remained a blank blue or empty darkness. They were alone.

**Day 40**

They ate the last of their rations. From now on its meat of the creatures he hunted or the roots she digs up at the base of trees. She tries her hand at cooking a stew she had learned from the large yellow Paladin. Despite not having any seasoning, the stew was tasteful. It was the first time he’s seen her smile for weeks.

**Day 80**

The planet offers larger game that come out only during the darkest hours of the night. Thankfully, being Galra he too could see well in the dark. Killing two of the creatures brings enough meat to feed them for a while and provide fur blankets.

She sits by the wall, gazing at the ancient murals, huddled in a fur. A candle formed from the fat of game casts a dreary glow. He watches her from the edge of the cave. He had gone hunting but gave up early due to the sudden snow storm. He discards the spear he had carved with a stone and sits down on his cot.

He didn’t know how to talk to her. Growing up in Zarkon’s army didn’t allow many opportunities to foster relationships. There had comrades he grieved when lost, but they had been fellow soldiers who knew the risks and dangers. Though she was a princess and a warrior in her own right, she was young, still a girl.

And like a child far from home, she missed her friends. The Paladins shared a comradery with her that she wouldn’t find on this planet - that she wouldn’t find with him. That was his fault, he supposed, and he felt that he should try to fill that void.

“Are you ill?”

“I’m fine,” she sighed, shrugging the blanket over her shoulders.

“You must tell me if something is wrong.”

Sharp eyes turned to him. “Everything is wrong! I’m not supposed to be freezing on this planet!”

His reaction to her sudden outburst was imperceptible with a slight tilt of his ears. “I can build a fire if you are cold . . .”

She made a sound that could have been between a giggled or a groan.

Day 90

She requested - no, declared she was going hunting with him.

“I”m going to go crazy if I spend another day in this cave!”

He didn’t point out that she had been to the stream to collect water and explored the surrounding area with him several times. Against his better judgment, he didn’t protest her coming along. He was so relieved she was out of the depression that held her in its grip for the many days past.

They went to the wooded area in hopes of finding small game, but they weren’t the only ones. Beasts were hungry after a long period of hibernation and they were eager to fill their bellies. Prey larger than their usual diet was too tempting to not risk.

Kolivan could only lay blame on his injury on his concern for the princess. He was hoping that a successful hunt may cure her melancholy. After teaching her how to find tracks in the snow and how to move quietly - lessons she absorbed as a dry sponge in water - he let her take lead. They had been following promising tracks leading away from the water. She was bent low, eyes on the shallow pits in the snow and ears pricked for the telltale sounds of skittering snow. So intent on her quarry, she didn’t realize she was one herself until it was almost too late.

Later, he would shudder to think of what would have happened if he had not been there. If he had not been looking at that spot or had not noticed the near imperceptive dark dots on the snow. How two coal like specks would wink in and out and how they had the gleam of focus on the princess. Instinct compelled him to fly forward. In that same instant, a beast broke through the snow in a flurry of white dust.

If he had been one second slower . . . His arm was between the princess and the powerful jaws aimed for her throat. They locked around his forearm and tore through the armor. Blood sprayed the snow in a fan of crimson. The beast was nearly his size with thick shoulders churning as it ran, dragging Kolivan with it. Three sets of eyes were bright with triumph and hunger.

A war cry streaked the air and spear cut the air over Kolivan’s head. The tip embedded into a lower black eye. The beast released its hold with an ear-splitting shriek. Kolivan’s hand found his blade. With an eldritch flow, it grew in length beneath a long sword. The beast was rubbing its face into the snow to dislodge the spear. Gaining his feet, Kolivan threw himself across its snowy back and drew the blade across the throat.

Dark blood seeped into the slow spreading crimson patch beneath them. Before moving, he surveyed the damage on his arm. The armor had taken the brunt, but the beast’s fangs had penetrated deep into his flesh. Blood oozed between the torn armguard.

The princess was kneeling beside him, but he barked, “Stay alert! Animals can hunt in packs!”

Frightened, she picked up her spear and looked around in a slight crouch. Kolivan wrenched the armguard and grimaced as blood dripped from spiked tips of wet fur. He was losing blood faster than he was comfortable with. He wrung the covering loose from the armguard and wrapped his arm. The blood would attract other predators, but to waste the meat would be a travesty. He bent down and hefted the carcass up over his opposite shoulder.

“Stop! You’re hurt!” she cried out with a hand out to stop him.

“We need the meat.” He managed to shoulder the heavy body and turned his head away from the thick pelt. The fur would serve well for the colder nights.

“You’re still thinking about hunting at a time like this?” She was incredulous by his pragmatism.

“We can’t afford to waste food, Princess,” he said more sternly than he meant. He was speaking to her as if she were a fresh acolyte, not the leader of the resistance.

“Then let me help you.”

“No, you have to keep watch in case the blood of their own doesn’t keep others away.”

She made a derisive sound but maintained her guarded watch as they returned to the cave. The snow broke and shifted around their legs and ears were prick for any crunch of snow that didn’t come from them. By the time of their arrival, the blood was running down his side. It had already bled through the makeshift bandage and dripping off his elbow. He had ignored it long enough. He dropped the carcass in the snow bank and stumbled to the firepit they had built from stones. The princess as what his side wanting to aide him.

“How can I help?”

“Bring the first aid kit.”

She dashed into the cave as he began tossing kindling into the firepit and started the fire. It burst into a hot blade within moments as she returned with the kit. She set it on the ground by his feet and lifted the lid.

“I know basic first aid,” she said with a near frantic urgency. “First we have to clean the wound. There’s a saline pouch . . .”

“Save it. I can clean it with snow.”

“Will that be clean enough?”

“Yes, it will do.” The cold will help ease the pain and numb the skin for what he had to do next.

He held his blade over the open flames. The metal wouldn’t be damaged and he had done this many times, not only for himself but for others as well. The Princess watched him in bewilderment, her brows knitted. “What are you doing?”

“Cauterizing the wound.”

“I have medical staples to close it.”

“No, it’ll take too long and I’ve lost too much blood.”

As if knowing his intent, the blade soon glowed hotly and ready. A streamer if steam flew upward in the cold air as he drew it from the flames. Without hesitation, he held the hot metal against the first puncture wound. He flinched and the princess gasped as the air was filled with the acrid smell of burning fur and flesh. The second puncture wasn’t much better, but he was satisfied with the results. The sound was sealed with the bleeding stopped.

The next hour he spent clipping away the burnt fur and disinfecting the burns. After wrapping it, he went to skinning the beast and carving the meat.

“You should rest.”

“I should, but we have to prepare the meat while it's still fresh. I can rest afterward.”

When an early night fell, the fire pit provided enough light to finish the job. His clothes were stained with blood and waste, more so than before when he was cleaning small animals. The princess’s clothing didn’t fare much better.

He had worn armor for so long that he felt exposed without it. Despite wearing the underclothing, he didn't feel comfortable sleeping without armor. It seemed the princess had the same thoughts regarding her soiled armor.

She removed the white armor pads and huddled in a fur blanket at the feet of the mural. He should say something, but he didn’t know what. Should he praise her? Or offer her words of comfort?

“I’m sorry.” At first, he wasn’t certain if he had spoken or she. He had been about to speak, but she continued, “I was careless. If I had been paying attention then you would not have been harmed.”

Kolivan shook his head, “Princess, no, the fault lies with me. I should have been aware of other predators on this planet.”

“If you hadn’t been paying attention to me, then you would have been aware of your surroundings. You would have seen it before it attacked.”

“It was bound to happen eventually. It is fortunate that it happened when I wasn’t hunting alone.”

“You would have been fine without me. I wasn’t much help.”

“You made it release me.”

She made a scoffing noise and looked away. “Do not lie to me and tell me that I rescued you. You would have defeated all the same on your own. I’m useless to you just as I was useless to my people, my father, and the Paladins.”

“Princes, please.”

Tears pooled in her cerulean eyes and rolled down her cheeks. He should do something, but what could he do that was appropriate? She was the last princess of a forgotten people and the leader of the newly formed Coalition.

He should do something but he wasn’t confident of what he knew he ought to do. For the first time, he realized how young the princess was truly was. She was a young woman, but in other ways still, a girl who missed her home, her family m, and her friends. What was he to her? A face of the race that destroyed her life and planet, one that she could barely look at him.

He rose, moving not of his volition but out of an old instinct that he had thought stamped out of him years ago. He touched the tear-stained cheek and brushed away the moisture there. Her face tilted to his, surprise and a hint of shame cross her eyes.

“I do not know what the future holds, Princess. I do not know how long we’ll be on this planet or if we will ever be rescued. Whatever happens you will not be alone. Take comfort in that as I take comfort in it.”

Did he say the right thing? Did he say too much or not enough? Or was it inappropriate that he say such things to a princess? He had little dealings with those of royal or noble blood. They had all demand a certain decorum in their presence. He saw none of that in this one, he only saw a scared girl.

She touched his hand. Long thin fingers curled along the back of his much larger furred hand. The touch was as gentle as it was electrifying. His hand spasm as if it has been bitten, but his claws remained sheathed and away from her tender skin.

“Thank you, Kolivan. I-I needed to hear that.”

**Day 85**

Something had changed between them. Before there had been an awkward tension that he could feel like a weight around his neck. After that day the tension was gone, replaced by something small but growing.

No longer did she maintain a distance, but drew close for social interactions. She had more questions, but not only about surviving. She wanted to know about his past and that led into sharing moments from her own life. The long silences were replaced by long conversations that lasted hours.

**Day 87**

The meat from the beast lasted 7 days between them. He said he would go out hunting tomorrow and she insisted on going with him.

“You cannot go it alone. The predators might be out there again and I’ll be too far away to help if you get attacked again.”

She was touching his arm as she spoke. The slight touch sending warm pulses through flesh skin. There was a slight hesitation, a stutter in his voice. “I know of what I should look out for. They will not surprise me again.”

“I have no doubts about your prowess in defending yourself, but it is for my own sake that I insist on accompanying you. I would . . . worry while you were gone.”

Her eyes lowered, head slightly bowed.

He raised no more objections.

**Day 100**

The Princess impressed him. When she decided to learn something, she was a bright student. She absorbed his lessons well and asked intelligent questions. If he had any complaint was that she was impatient with her own abilities. When she failed, she blamed herself; never the environment or the lesson itself.

The familiarity was growing between them and he wasn’t certain if he was comfortable with it or not. She touched him often. It wasn’t offensive touches, but she drew close when he demonstrated how to clean game and how to hold her weapon. Her shoulder brushed his arm and hands touched as he guided her actions.

Each touch brought a wave of strange heat across his skin, sometimes the fur stood on end beneath his suit. He never had any aversion to being touched before. No, it wasn’t aversion. It wasn’t uncomfortable, in fact, it was too comfortable. Yet, comfortable wasn’t the word from it either. He couldn’t figure out what he was feeling around her.

Even if he did so, he wouldn’t dare change his behavior around her. She no longer wallowed in her loneliness at the foot of the cave mural and slept without nightmares. He barely knew her from before the crash. She had remained aloof and distant back then, but he would dare say that she almost herself again.

**Day 103**

They were wary when they hunted. Always watchful for two inconspicuous black dots in the snow. A sudden movement would catch his attention and he would scan the area for any gleaming eyes in the snow. If he was uncertain or felt the hunt was too risky, he would call it off and they would return with what they had caught.

They theorized the beasts have recently risen from a long hibernation. That would mean they were alert, hungry, and territorial. They came across the site of a battle between two of them. Tunnels in the snow and claw marks on branches told the story and a half-eaten carcass told the rest. The meat was too precious to become bothered by eating leftovers of a winner’s spoil.

However, the princess desired something else.

“We have to eat something other than meat,” she told him the night before. “Our bodies are not getting the nutrients we need to stay healthy.”

After studying the remains of game, she concluded they were herbivores by their flat teeth. “The food must be under the snow. Look at the front paws. They’re meant for digging through the snow for hidden plants. Maybe roots?”

While he tended to the carcass, quartering it for easy travel, Allura began digging at the base of the trees. First, she used her hands and when they became too cold, she used her spear. It wasn’t long before she found what she was looking for. She came to him with a handful of roots, dark brown and spongy. Squeezing them rung out some water and they were surprisingly warm.

Allura believed the trees use their roots to melt the snow for water. The roots could also absorb nutrients from the dung of the creatures who live among them for warmth. After days of experimenting, she learned the way to serve them. After tenderizing them in the pot, she would water and meat and bring to a boil. It made both an appetizing broth and stew.

“I don’t think Hunk could have done better,” she declared taking a sip from her mug.

It took him a moment to remember whom she was speaking of. “The Yellow Paladin? The large one?”

A rare smile graced her lips and she nodded. “I thought you were going to call him the frightened one.”

Kolivan gave an uncharacteristic shrug. “I was trying not to be obtuse.”

“Actually, you wouldn’t be too far off in that assessment.” She still smiled prettily at him.

He was in the motion of smiling back when it struck him like a bolt of lightning. He was attracted to her. She was a lovely young woman and it wasn’t something he was unaware of. He took pleasure in seeing a comely female as he would a waterfall or sunrise. Admiration without deep feelings. Such feelings had been left in his youth, buried beneath the call of duty and honor.

Naturally, when two people have been isolated together physical attractions would arise. What he was feeling was just a chemical reaction to being around her for so long with no other distractions.

Tomorrow, he would go scouting.

**Day 104**

It was no surprise that she insisted on going with him. They should go together, she declared and raised a hand towards his arm. He stepped away before she could touch him. His mind was made up to leave, but he didn’t want the temptation to stay to erode his decision. His body needed the exertion of a journey to hammer out the phantom physical needs.

Of course, she provided a list of reasons why he shouldn’t go alone. What about the food? What about the weather? What if he should get lost or hurt? What if help came while he was out there?

He could longer than she without food and could hunt and dig for roots. His didn’t smell a storm on the air but could build a shelter before it hit. The Imperial Academy had trained him well for outdoors survival in extreme weather. And if rescue should come, then he would notice giant robot lions flying overhead.

He departed the following hour, after spending a while convincing her to stay behind. He could travel faster alone and she needed to ensure the cave remained safe and for if help should come.

“How long will you be gone?”

“Three days,” he said. “Maybe sooner if I find something.”

“Three days,” she said, her eyes piercing into his. “That’s a promise.”

**Day 106**

He found the village on the second day.

Measuring time wasn’t easy with unpredictable days and nights of different spans of time. He estimated it had been two days since he left the cave based on his sleep cycle. The weather was mild and the journey easy with few footfalls.

He noted the mountains, came across another grove of trees with plenty of game. There may be another cave nearby and if their food supply became diminished they could move to this plentiful area. He hadn’t spotted any signs of the beasts, so maybe this area was safer too.

Exploring further would take more time and he had promised he would return within three days. He wouldn’t put it past her to follow after him if he should be even one hour late returning. This would give him give a plausible excuse to come back out here again.

His relief was tinged with guilt for distancing himself from her. There had been confusion and some pain in her eyes at his insistence at going it alone. She was likely in the cave worried for him and lonely in his absence.

And it was not her fault for his untoward emotions. It was in her best and interest and his that he went  
on this sojourn. His attraction was a distraction he could not afford in this dangerous climate. And most of all it was the utmost of impropriety. She was a Princess, a person of higher caste and a warrior and leader he had come to respect. To feel such things for her was an affront to who she is and who he is. The Leader of the Blades of Mamora viewing the lost Princess of Altea, leader of the Coalition and Commander of the Castle of Lions with lust as if she were some piece of flesh was insulting not only to her but to him as well.

No. Lust wasn’t what he felt. It went deeper than that. More emotional than physical.

These thoughts followed him into the long hours of snow and cold. If it wasn’t for the light glinting off metal, then he never would have noticed the light post. He paused, an ear twitching beneath his hood as he studied it. He had mistaken it for a branchless tree, one of many dotting the snowfield around him. As he approached the curious landmark, he noticed a second meters away and then another. It was a line of metal poles like a road or a path.

Digging nearly a foot down into the snow revealed a paved path beneath his feet. Elated, he lifted his head and estimated the risks. Following the road was a definite, but how far out of the way would it take him? The princess would be awaiting his return, but she would want this investigated. He decided he would only trek two miles and if he had found nothing by then, he would turn back.

A mile and a half away, he found the town.

It was empty. Houses abandoned with doors cracked by the cold and windows broken. There were no people, they had left long, long ago. Were they fleeing an enemy or the elements? He didn’t know, but this could be a new place, safer and perhaps warmer than the cave.

**Day 108**

It took him a day to explore the village and find a safe house. It was almost untouched at the edge of the village. There was a pantry, but the food had rotted and turned to dust. It was perfect and it best of all, there was a push sled that carried him easily downhill. It was light enough that pulling it uphill was hardly any trouble.

It, fortunately, cut his travel time back to the case by several hours. Upon his arrival, she rushed out, her hair loose from its chignon and flowed behind her like a cloud. Her eyes were swollen from sleep and almost red. Had she been weeping?

She clung to him long enough time for him to feel her pounding heart before she began hitting him with her fists. Through her teeth, she hissed, “Do not ever leave me alone again!? Do you hear? Never!”

**Day 110**

Her fury at his departure abated days later. Until then, she spoke only when necessary to him and every time she looked in his direction, it was with a scowl. The only time her anger didn’t tinge her words was when they spoke about the village.

Her excitement turned to caution when he suggested moving to the cottage. “Is it safe?”

“Yes. I saw no sign of the predators and it’s built to be insulated against the cold.”

“But going there would mean leaving the pod behind.”

There was a long moment of silence between them. The pod, though buried under layers of snow and ice, the last link they had before the crash. Though it was dead, leaving the pod behind would be abandoning the last visage of life before the snow.

“I know.” He said gently, his ear slightly lowered. “But staying near it won’t make it suddenly regain power not help us. We have to move on.”

His words carried more weight for her than he intended. She froze and then slowly nodded. “You’re right. We have to move on.”

They spent the next day preparing for the journey. They gathered their meager supplies and furs and packed them on the sled. They would leave as soon as night fell away and if the weather permitted. They ate one last meal in the cave. He dodged the question of why the village was empty for as long as possible. He finally broke down and told her lest she suspected him of intentionally hiding it.

“It was the Galra.”

She paused in mid-bite and slowly lowered her fork. “The Galra?”

“Yes. An old Imperial emblem was spray painted on the wall in the village center. I barely noticed it and had to chip away from the ice to see it clearly, but it was definitely it. It’s an older design, at least a few centuries.” He didn’t meet her eyes as he spoke, not wanting to see the indignation in her cerulean eyes.

“What happened to the people?” Allura said after a long moment of silent contemplation.

He sighed, not liking this topic of conversation. “It could be anything. They could have been gathered up as slaves if they were congenial or genocide if they were too resistant.”

Another thoughtful silence followed. He didn’t know if she were mourning the lost people or fuming in outrage at the Galra destroying another planet. Then she said, “Could they have caused the unusual night and day cycles?”

“I do not think so,” Kolivan said, almost relieved that for once a problem could not be blamed on his kind. “All the houses had special clocks that predicted how long each night and day were. I would have brought one with me, but they were quite large to carry. The cottage I found had one so it will become quite useful.”

“Yes, no more surprised nights,” she agreed.

They spoke no more on the question of the native’s demise. Though, he did see her look forlornly at the cave mural as if bidding it goodbye, or perhaps consolation.

**Day 130**

The cottage was a bigger boon than he could have hoped. Days after arriving, she figured out how to use the stove. With the collection of herbs and spices, still preserved on a spice rack, she created tasty meals that were many leagues better than the bland meals they've had before. She beamed at him at their first dinner in the cottage and declared that Hunk couldn't have done any better.

Together, they cleaned the cottage, swept out the snow, and covered the broken windows with hide to keep out the cold. There were two bedrooms, a master bedroom and what had once belonged to a child. There were forgotten toys hidden away in a closet waiting for an owner that would never return. He offered to take the child’s room, but she wouldn’t hear of it. “No, you’re bigger than I am so you need a larger bed to sleep comfortably. You take the master bedroom and I’ll sleep in the other.”

They soon fell in a routine. He would go out collecting firewood and hunting and repairing parts of the cottage that needed it while she attended domestic chores and cooked. There was a garden buried under the ice which had an abundance of roots that she collected each morning. Sometimes she went to the other houses in the village to raid what she could of their pantries.

She found clothes that fitted her - an old fur dress that complemented her dark features and white hair. Taking great joy in wearing something other than armor, she began wearing her hair down. Once she wore a satin robe that accentuated her figure. He caught himself staring at her backside while she was bent over the stove.

“It’s like we’re married. Together alone in this house, with nothing but the ice and snow," she once said.

He had believed himself stronger than this. Hopes that his sojourn from her would abate his inexcusable desires fell away as his eyes followed her around the kitchen. They stayed with him as he fell asleep and appeared when he woke and followed him as he worked. What was worse, was this time they were accompanied by temptation.

They were away inside a vault in his mind, refusing to let them out. He would not dishonor himself or her with any crude action on his part. Nor would he give in to what was a weakness of the soul. He needed to get away from her again.

**Day 140**

“I think we might be able to contact help.”

She paused in the middle of dipping stew into a bowl and looked at him with apprehension. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been studying the technology in the village. They have basic radio equipment so perhaps they were studying their solar system.”

She set the bowl on the table in front of him and took the seat opposite him. They had taken their meals at the table in the kitchen. Her hands curled on the table, her steaming bowl forgotten. “It makes sense. If they’re able to chart their bizarre night and day cycle, then they must have some way of measuring planetary movement.”

He nodded. “I searched the village, but the equipment they would use isn’t here. I imagine there’s a city or perhaps a laboratory somewhere that we can use to call for help.”

“Will it be functional? Won’t the Galra have stripped it down?”

“No, the Empire would have no used for defunct equipment. If it hasn’t been destroyed, then it should be functional. My only concern is powering it up, but I won’t know the situation until I arrive there.”

Then her eyes narrowed and her face clouded. “I? As in just yourself?”

It was an unguarded slip of the tongue. It was another sign of why he should part from her - he was losing his focus. “I can travel faster alone and I have no idea how far away this place is or where.”

“Meaning you have no idea of when you’re coming back.” Her voice was low, almost a hiss. Her cerulean eyes glinted at him like sharp stones. “You mean to leave me here alone again?”

“You’ll be safer here than at the cave. The predators do not come out this way and there is plenty of food, especially since I made snares.”

“I don’t care about my safety,” she spat rising with fury emanating from her very being. “You’re not leaving me alone here. I’m coming with you.”

“No,” he said simply. It was a single word, but with it came the weight of authority. “You will stay here.”

Her eyes flashed. “You dare give me an order? I’m Princess Allura of Altea! Daughter of King Alfor and Queen Melenor. You do not order me to do anything. In  
fact, I order you not to go without me. Is that understood!?”

Then at that moment, she wasn’t the only one outraged. He rose, looming over her with only the small table between them. “Princess Allura, you have my respect, but not my fealty. I have sworn to work along your side to destroy the Galra Empire, but I am not one of your vassals. If I wish to go it alone, then I can do so without any decree from you.”

He was being too harsh. His own desperation fed into his ire causing his voice to growing harsher than he intended. She stood as straight as a rail, face stricken and moisture at the edges of her eyes. Never before had he seen her so shocked.

Instantly regretful, he dipped his head in apology. “Forgive me. I should not have spoken to you like that.”

She closed her eyes and shivered as if the pain had rippled through her body. “No, I started it by trying to pull rank on you and I was wrong for that.”

Silence lingered between them. He didn’t know what he could say that would rectify the situation while making her agree to remain behind.

“Is there a reason why you are trying to get away from me?” Her voice was mournful like a child missing her mother.

“I’m not trying to get away from you,” he said far too quickly.

“Yes, you are,” she said bitterly. “Just like the last time you left me behind. Is it because you believe I cannot keep up with you? That’ll I’ll get in your way?”

“No, Princess,” he said shaking his head. “I believe you to be a strong, capable young woman.”

“Have I done something to offend you?”

“No,” he closed his eyes, his ears lowering in shame. “It is because I may do something to offend you.”

She deserved to know and perhaps in knowing, she would be glad to see the back of him. That would put an end to his wretched fight and he could avoid shaming himself. He didn’t dare lift his eyes to her face, instead of staring fixedly at the table.

“I . . . I see,” her voice was empty, unreadable.

Did she? Did she understand what he meant? If so, then it granted him mercy from having to explain himself. And if now, perhaps that was better that she was innocent of his thoughts.

“Kolivan, please, don’t be ashamed.”

He was burning with humiliation. By the Mountains of Daizabaal, he was many times her age, many times! For him to be as frightened as youngling approaching his first crush was unimaginable. The temptation to go out the door and keep walking until the snow and ice claimed him was not too bad an idea right now.

“I . . . I have - I have the same inclinations.” Her voice was small as if whispered from the end of a long tunnel. “Towards you.”

Kolivan blinked, unable to comprehend her words. It was like there was a static crackle across his brain. He had heard her words but didn’t understand them. They slowly convalesce into a realization that was made evident by her red cheeks and sidelong eyes.

He sat down, heavily, the chair almost creaking in protest at the rough treatment. Surely not, surely he was misunderstanding her. Yet the memories of her small touches, drawing close, the way she wore her new clothing around him. She wasn’t a woman making the best of a bad situation, she had been a woman trying to attract a mate.

It made more sense for her as she was young and warm-blooded. He was the only other person on this planet so of course, her passions would settle for what was available to her. If any of the Paladins were here, then her affections would be in their direction instead of his.

“Kolivan, please look at me.”

He raised his eyes to see her standing before him. She had moved silently to his side, surprising him. Even with him sitting, he was nearly as tall as her standing. Her hand reached for his laying on the table and he moved it to his lap before she could touch him. “Princess, please, this isn’t . . .”

“I’m not a virginal maiden. I have had lovers before and during the war,” she said softly.

“I’m old enough to be your father, no, your grandfather.”

An amused smile touched her lips. “Have you forgotten I am over 10,000 years old? I’m old enough to be your many times great grandmother.”

“And I am a Galra,” he said almost brusquely.

The smile faded as she inclined her head, “It is true that I was suspicious of you and the Blades. I wasn’t willing to trust you or any Galra for that matter. They have caused so much pain and death in the Universe that I wasn’t willing to believe that any Galra could be trusted. Then I learned that one of my dearest friends is half Galra.”

Keith. The young man who came into the Blades demanding answers of who he is and where his knife came from. Kolivan had his suspicions about the youth’s parentage, but he had set that aside until after the mission. “I know who you speak.”

Remorse lined her face and she looked away, dropping her eyes towards the floor. “We had fought side by side, shared meals, and laughed together. Once I discovered he was part Galra . . .” she fell silent, a tear rolled down her cheek. “I was cruel to him. I don’t want to be that person again.”

“And you think having feelings for a Galra will grant you atonement?” He wasn’t comfortable with speaking so crudely, but under the circumstances, there was no need to dance around the subject.

“No, it’s - I’m not interested in you because I want to prove something to myself or others. We’ve been living together for months and I’ve come to care for you as deeply as I do the Paladins and Coran.”

He shook his head. “Princess, your feelings honor me, but this isn’t appropriate for us . . .”

“Do not put me on a pedestal,” she said with some of the anger returning to her eyes. “I don’t deserve that.”

Their meals were forgotten. She put it away into a pot to save for when their appetites returned. He went outside to take advantage of the dwindling daylight to work while she retired early to bed. Throwing himself into the work, he collected firewood. He chopped through the wall of a house until he tore out a sizable chunk and began chopping it into smaller pieces. Allura was against dismantling houses for firewood, but Kolivan assured her the owners were past caring what happened to their property.

Sweat wet his fur despite the cold. It took several minutes of hard pulling until he wrested a board from where its nails. He dropped it onto a pile of broken lumber and collected the ax. Exhausted, but not ready to return to the cottage, he went into the exposed living room and dropped onto an old sofa. A layer of frost was thrown off under his weight, it rose to the air and drifted over him, clinging to his fur. Welcoming the coolness, he stretched his legs out before him. He was tempted to nap if not for the turmoil going on inside his head.

Usually, the monotony of work gave him time to meditate or reflect. For the last hour, however, he was tormented by the revelations of hours ago. The princess was a young woman. After months, she would still find him attractive even if where a one eyed slime monster. And all the time he had been afraid of offending her with his attraction, she had been harboring her own for him.

It was all the more reason why they needed to get off this planet as soon as possible. Once the Princess was back with the Paladins, she could choose one of them as her paramour. She would forget her feelings for him and they could go back to a healthy working relationship within the Coalition.

A flicker of sadness rose and he quickly pushed it down. His emotions functioned like a wheel. One emotion rose and then was lowered only to have another rise. Now he was feeling the joy that his feelings were reciprocated, then those were shoved down with the rest. Then came the confusion of what he should do about these revelations.

Meditation had taught him how to focus on the mission, sweeping away all emotions. Now despite his efforts to go into a meditative state, they came back like weeds after rain. He was going to be useless to the princess like this if he didn’t get himself in order.

He considered sneaking off while she slept, to find the lab himself and call for aid, but this time he would stay away. There would be a note explaining his actions and reasons and he would return to the cave and live there himself. He would come around to bring her meat and make sure she had a full pantry, but he wouldn’t stay long. The distance would temper their desires and nothing dishonorable would happen between them.

What was dishonorable about two consenting adults finding joy in each other?

The question loomed up like a great bird taking flight. She was young, not a child and old enough to know what she wanted and admitted to such earlier. They were alone with no one to know or what happened would be between them only.

It was a struggle, but he managed to break away from this line of thinking. Pressing a handful of snow to his brow and thoughts, he tried to his get emotions under control. he endured the confusion, the toss and turn of his decisions and emotions. The last time he endured such turmoil was before he left the Empire and joined the Blades so many years ago.

He didn’t have to make a decision right now. His mind needed some time to adjust itself and then he could make a clear decision without regrets.

The night was falling, the light low and slanting through the rafters. He rose, collected the ax and wood and returned to the cottage. After putting away the ax and dropping the kindling into the woodbox, he retired to bed. His bones ached as he undressed and prepared for bed. He raked a brush through the fur on his chest and arms, removing loose hair and sweat with each sweep.

Too tired to give any more thought to the princess or finding the lab, he fell asleep as soon as he laid down. His body relaxed, his muscles spasming from the hours of labor. There was a sound, a soft  
sough of cloth brushing skin. There was weight shifting near him, slight pressure against his fur. The sensory dream lulled him into a lassitude and he thought nothing of the slight touches on his face and mouth.

“Kolivan,” a soft voice said into his ear.

It was her voice, soft and low, like the breath of fresh air after hours spent in a stifling room. It was both gratifying and shocking when he opened his eyes and saw her there. In the light of the planet’s moons cast a luminous gibbous that made her hair shine like silver.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he whispered.

“Do you want me to leave?”

He couldn’t answer her, his mind was twisting with the desire for her to stay and demand her to leave. His body knew what it wanted. Kolivan thank whatever deity saw fit to design Galra physiology to have male sexual organs tucked away inside the body until time called for their appearance.

“Princess, you shouldn’t -”

“No, say my name. Tell me to stay, tell me to go, but please say my say when you tell me,” her voice was edged with a desperate plea. “Right now, I’m not a princess nor am I the commander of the Castle of Lions. I’m a woman who wants to be with the man she’s fallen in love with.”

His hand touched hers, curling over the delicate bones and tissue and gently squeeze. “Is this what you want? Truly want?”

“Yes, as long as you want me back.”

He did. His arms folded around her, drawing her against his chest. She was light as a leaf with bones no stronger to him than glass. Yet, he felt the passion in her radiate into his body. Heat soared between them as they explored the other’s body.

“Do you want me to change? I can change my skin pigment and grow taller . . .”

“No. Change not one thing about yourself.”

They didn’t leave that room for almost two days. Most of it was spent talking and lovemaking. They slept when they were tired and fetched food for when they were hungry. He got to know the princess - Allura - well during those many hours as well as she came to know him.

**Day 145**

Their relationship underwent another change, this one less confusing and problematic. He no longer became uncomfortable by her small touches and caresses. They became the things he lived for. Openly looking at her no longer brought on guilt. When her lair lay over her shoulders like silk on bronze, he caved into desire.

There were moments when he was alone and allowed himself to dwell on it that he regretted their joining. The implication the leaders of alien races may see in a liaison between the Leader of the Blades and Princess Allura of the Castle of Lions and representative of Voltron. Many would protest their pairing, and perhaps even the Paladins could be among them. What would she say or do if the people who had come family for her should protest?

A better question is would it last that long?

This joining was brewed from the isolation and fear of loneliness. It did not manifest through normal means and when it no longer served a purpose - when they were back among their people - it would be discarded as a pleasant memory or secret smile. He kept these thoughts to himself, not wishing to burden her with them. For now, she was happy and he had no intention of disturbing the warm smile that appeared whenever she saw him.

They spent a day searching the houses again, but not for supplies. . This time they sought maps and information about the surrounding area.

“We could follow the light posts,” she suggested as they searched a building near the center of the village. “They surely lead to another city or village.”

“True, but how far?” He said flipping through a book. “We could supply ourselves for a three-day journey when it actually takes three weeks to get there. And it may not take us to where we want to go. Their astronomy towers may be far from urban areas, like atop of a mountain.”

“We need to find a town hall. It would have municipal maps or charts.” She peered out the window as if she would see it across the street.

“It would serve better if we could actually read their writing.”

The characters were a series of slashes and dots with some squiggles here and there. For all they knew, they could see looking at the information they needed and not know it. If this was a village, then there had to be a mayoral office or a council building. A library would be a wealth of information to aid in their search.

They finally found such an office within one of the larger buildings. It might have been the mayor’s house or the home of a scholar. There was a locked door which caved under the roll of Kolivan’s shoulder. Inside were shelves of paper books and charts. Breathing in exhilaration, Allura darted inside. Her eyes were bright with delight as the blood of her scholarly ancestors sang to her. Kolivan was drawn to a poster on the far wall. The paper was glossy and tacked to the wall with a sticky substance that easily gave way when he pulled it.

He laid it across a table and pointed at jagged lines indicating mountains. “This is where our cave is. And this,” he drew a claw tip towards a group triangular shapes, “is this village.”

She looked over the map, her eyes widen in delight. “A map! An actual map! This must be the road you found.” She pointed at a long black line extending from the village symbol.

They took the map and everything else they believed would help them back to the cottage.

“It seems a shame to write on it,” Allura said holding a marker in a hesitating hand. The map laid unblemished on the table with a glossy sheen that told of the previous owners' value of it.

“Imagine if the owner is here with us. Do you think he would do what he can to aid us?” Kolivan offered as he laid out books opened to pictures.

“If he was with us,” Allura said with an amused smile, “He would just tell us where to go. But I see what you mean. Very well, I’ll try to write neatly.”

She made two circles on the map and labeled them as the Pod and the Cave. Then she did the same for the village. With a single finger, she pointed at an image resembling a star. “This might be the science building.”

“We can’t be sure. This is an alien culture we're having to learn through a written language we don’t understand. Due to our lack of understanding, that symbol could mean anything from a sewage plant to a prison.”

They scour the pages for recognizable landmarks, especially around the mountain. Most of the images were of the natives which were blue dumpy figures. The Paladins would see them as a cross between penguins and polar bears with their thick white fur and short legs. The images were black and white giving them a reason to suspect that the inhabitants hadn’t mastered colored photography or their race was colorblind.

The images with the mountain in the background were taken within the village. Most of them were in front of buildings they had passed many times during scavenging runs. Yet, they did not find what they were seeking. They skimmed through school books, news articles, history books, and encyclopedias. When they were ready to give up for the night Allura jerked upward and brandished an open page.

The natives were celebrating the opening of a facility with a satellite array on top. And in the background, their mountain loomed. There was enough light for them to go outside to match the landscape with the image.

“It’s over to the west,” Allura estimated, squinting at the mountain. “But further away from it than the village.”

Kolivan guessed it was at least a five-day journey depending on what obstacles they came across. Night soon fell and they both retired to bed pleased with their accomplishment.

She curled in his arms, a hand on his upper arm, the fingers idly stroking the fur there. “Their power source comes from geothermal power plants. I don't think we can figure out how to run a power planet by ourselves.” She seemed more content than worried.

“There could generators.” He had found a few in the village and had considered bringing one to the cottage. They had been doing well enough with candles and lamps for light and it had been warm enough with heat.

“But how many would it take to power a facility?” Her hand slid to his shoulder and touched the slope of his neck.

“We don’t have to power the whole building. Just the machines we need to send a message.” His hand spread open across her back, drawing her close to his chest. “I would take along three generators and plenty of fuel.”

“‘I’?” She eyed him suspiciously, one eyebrow raised.

He shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting away before returning to hers. “We would take along three generators.”

Satisfied, she rewarded him with a light kiss and stroked his cheek. “My next worry is in sending the message. The equipment might be too outdated to send what we need.”

“That’s why tomorrow we’ll return to the Pod to get the radio. It might take some work, but we could hook it to send the signal through their satellites.”

A soft sigh whispered across his throat followed by a gentle touch of lips. “I can’t sleep.”

“You should,” he gently admonish, yet did nothing to prohibit the soft kisses at his throat. “If we’re to get to return to the Pod quickly, we’ll have to be well rested and rise early.”

“Then help me to relax,” she begged with an inviting glow behind her eyes.

“We won’t get much rest,” he murmured, his resistance already giving ground to her practiced touches.

“We’ll get plenty of rest. Later.”

A blissful hour later, he was laying on his side, spent and sated, watching her sleep. She was stretched out with her arms curled above her head as if stretching awake. Watching her break was as entrancing as watching a waterfall or a sunset. The subtle rise and fall of her chest, hair gleaming in the moonlight, and lips soft as tender as a petal.

His desire for her had evolved into something  
deeper. It sank into his center and branched throughout his soul. He loved her. She was the light that warmed him, the heat in his blood that was stirring now, tempting him to seduce her into another round of lovemaking.

And it will tear him apart for when they would have to inevitably part ways.

**Day 150**

A storm delayed their departure by half a day and then they left the village for the cave. Thankfully, nothing had moved into the cave while they were away. They rested after their journey, but mostly it was to delay seeing the pod. It had been so long since they departed the pod and chances were it was buried under many feet of snow. It would take time to dig it up and hope the components they needed were undamaged by the cold.

When sunlight rose, they were rested enough to make the climb to the crash site. They went the way they had come months ago to escape a storm, back when they were strangers to each other. Their breath puffed in front of them and spoke very little as they trek through the snow. When they reached the site they shared a sigh of relief when they saw the metal gleaming through the snow. Nature had been kind and only submerged one side of the pod in snow.

**Day 153**

“If we can keep these dry, they’ll work fine.”

He wrapped the wiring within a dry cloth and encased it in soft leather. Raising his head, he looked over to where she was sitting at a dismantled panel toying with a tool. He called her again and when she didn’t respond he rose to his feet and approached.

“Allura?”

Startled, she almost dropped the tool. “Kolivan, sorry, I was deep in thought.”

He touched her shoulder, “What is it?”

“I . . . I was wondering how they’re doing.”

He didn’t need to be told of whom she was speaking of. “The Paladins are powerful and function well as a team. I know they survived and are still looking for us.”

He wasn’t one to be an optimist or give false hope without proof. There was no telling what happened after the battle or who had survived. Perhaps Voltron emerged victoriously and the Universe is at peace with the threat of the Galra gone. Or Voltron could have been destroyed and Zarkon was now more dangerous than ever. There was almost uncertainty in not wanting to find out.

Were the same thoughts going through her head as well?

**Day 155**

Snow billowed against the canvas they pinned up to block the cave’s opening. The surrurus of wind over the snow play a peaceful song. She was tucked against his chest, her face burrowed into his neck. His long hand was hidden in the mane of her white hair.

He told himself to enjoy these peaceful moments for as long as they lasted. If they were rescued - when they were rescued - this would change. She would go her way and he would go his. Their parting would hurt, but it would be necessary.

“Kolivan.”

“Yes?” He leaned his head against her hair. “Are you cold?”

“No, not when I’m with you. I was just thinking . . . do you think our plan will work?”

“I do not know. We will have to see what awaits us at the science building.” He traced the edge of her shoulder, stirring the curtain of hair over it. “For all we know, it could have been damaged or destroyed when the Galra invaded.”

She lifted her head, peering into his face. The smell of oil still clung to her body from where she worked on the Pod’s communication equipment. Knowing it was coming from her body made it alluring as fragrant perfume.

“Are looking forward to going back?” She said, touching his face, the fingertips grazing his cheekbone.

“There is much to be done whether the mission was successful or not.”

“So you want to return to your duties?” There was sad wilt in her voice that perplexed him.

“Are you not eager to return to yours?” He said blankly.

There a long moment of silence before she finally said, “Yes. I am eager to return.”

It sounded as empty as the wind outside.

**Day 160**

With the sled and good weather, they made it back to the village with the components safe and dry. The cottage was as they had left it. It was cold, but a few logs in the fire pit soon warmed it up.

They stored the components in a safe place and made plans for the journey to the science building. All that was needed was to gather supplies for a long journey and wait for more good weather.

He noticed she was more subdued since their return. No, it was before that, back in the last night in the cave when she inquired if he was eager to return to the Blades. She was becoming distant and no longer sought those little moments of physical contacts he had become accustomed to since their joining. He wouldn't let himself miss them.

It was fine. She already putting distance between them now for when they parted wouldn’t be too painful. He could understand that.

**Day 163**

“Kolivan.”

Her voice was close to his ear, her breath teasing the fur there.

“Kolivan, I . . .”

He could see the outline of her head from the luminous glow from the window. Shifting over onto his back, he met her gaze and touched her cheek. It was like touching a flower petal. “Allura, is something wrong?”

“I’ve been thinking lately,” she said drawing away from him, pulling a blanket around her bare body.

He sat up, shifting the covers aside to follow her to the window. “Are you worried about the plan?”

She looked at him over and pressed a hand to the cold window. “Yes and no. I . . .you’re going to think me strange for saying this.”

“I will not,” he assured her. He rested his hands on her shoulders and felt the delicate bones beneath the flesh. “Nothing you could ever say would make me think less of you.”

She placed a small hand across his knuckles and her reflection smiled at him. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve lived in conflict. The war between our people, Zarkon destroying Altea, restoring Voltron, and then creating the Coalition. I’ve always answered the call of Princess of Altea and Commander of the Castle of Lions even when it was difficult or dangerous.”

“You’re a brave woman,” he said, dipping his head down to press his lips to the nape of her neck.

“You almost said ‘brave young woman’,” she chided playfully leaning back into his lips. “Have you forgotten I’m over 10,000 years old?”

“You don’t appear to be a day over ten millennia old.” He licked the back of her ear. There was a faint taste of soap from when she bathed earlier.

Turning, she laid her arms over his shoulders and kissed him. Heat unfurled between them, deepening into their flesh despite the cold at her back. She pressed a hand across his chest, putting a touch of space between them. Her face was flushed and her breasts rose and fell.

“Let’s not go back.”

The words hung between them like spider dangling from its web. He drew back, uncertain if he heard her correctly. “I do not understand.”

“Dearest, these last few months have been the best time of my life.” Her hands curled into the fur of his chest. “Being on this planet, with you has been so peaceful. I don’t want to leave it, I don’t want to back to fighting again.”

At a loss for words, he stared at her. His lips parted to speak, but no words came.

She was pleading with him now. “We could stay here. Just the two of us. It’s safe, the Empire and Zarkon will never find us here.”

“We . . .Allura, that isn’t . . .”

“I love you, Kolivan, and I know that you love me too.”

“No, stop this. Princess, we cannot . . .” His hands tighten on her shoulders. He kept his claws sheath lest he accidentally pricked her skin.

“Kolivan, please . . .”

“No!”

Not since the day they had argued and confessed their feelings had he raised his voice. Turning away from her, he raked his hands through the fur between his ears. He stalked across the room, his hair loose from its braid hung down his back. In the mornings, she would braid it for him, a ritual they had both come to enjoy. It was painful to think that it would never happen again.

“Kolivan?” Her sad voice was a knife in his heart.

“Forgive me.” His voice was rough with pain. “I should not have shouted at you. You didn’t deserve that.”

Her feet made no noise as she crossed, but he sensed her presence as he would his beating heart. Her hands which had given him nothing but pleasure now filled him with dread as she smoothed them down his back.

“Are you angry with me? For wanting to stay here?”

“No.” He found himself not blaming her at all.

“Then what is the matter?”

He kept his back to her, knowing that seeing her face would give him second thoughts. Letting this go on as long as has been a sad mistake. Perhaps even giving into it the first place had been a bigger one.

“I cannot stay here.” He felt her freezing behind him, a sudden tension at his back. “I have a duty to the Blades and I have made a vow to remove Zarkon from power. As long as he is in control of the Empire, nowhere is safe. And you feel the same.”

“No, I . . .”

He finally turned back to her, not meeting her eyes, but taking her hand in his. “Princess, life here with you has been the happiest in my life. With you, I have found peace and joy. But . . . I knew it wasn’t to last. The Universe needs us to save it from Zarkon. It’s our responsibility to see if that has come to pass or not. And then go our separate ways.”

He felt her pain as if it was his own. Nails bit into his flesh as he clenched his hands. “Why would you say we would separate? As much as I want to stay here with you, then why should we part if we leave this planet together? I want to be with you. On this planet or anywhere in the Universe.”

“Because we have different roles to play. I lead the Blades and you’re the Leader of the Coalition. The Paladins of Voltron need you as their guide. If Zarkon is still alive, still a threat to the Universe, then we have to take up the fight again. If he is no more, then there’s a Universe we must help  
rebuild. How would we be together? Would you ask me to leave the Blades and live with you in the Castle? Or would you leave the Castle or Voltron?”

She turned away, her hair becoming a shroud for her sorrow. He watched her shoulders tremble and he hated himself for hurting her. Hated himself for doing what he knew has to be done. “I’m sorry I am causing you pain, but surely you understood that this couldn’t last.”

“The only thing I understand is that I love you.” She straightened, her arms cross over chest. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before and I doubt I ever will again.”

“That is your youth speaking,” he said. “You’re young, beautiful, and powerful. Many will vie for your attention and you will choose another to give your heart to. The reason why you chose me is that I was your only option.”

“Is that what you think?” There was a trace of anger in her voice. “That I would just love anyone I’m stranded with?”

“No, not anyone. Perhaps if it was one of the Paladins instead. . .”

“How dare you say that.” She rounded on him, eyes flashing hotly. “How dare you presume to know my feelings, to know me! You see me as some lovesick youth! If you’re so much ‘older and wiser’ than me, then why be with me when you knew it was doomed to fail?”

He drew back, startled by her sudden fury. His back hit and rattled the table legs. “Because it made us happy, it gave us the motivation to live on. As much as I hope we can get a rescue signal started, I understand our chances of success is still unknown. Possible low or even impossible. If there is no hope of rescue, then we both need a reason to live other than for survival itself.”

He couldn’t read her eyes nor the emotion lining her face. She was very still like the distant snowy mountains that had watched over them for so long.

“Alright. If you see this as a coping mechanism until we’re rescued, then let’s end it now. Shall we?” Her voice was like ice. Thin, cold, and cracked with sharp edges. It hurt him to hear her speak like that.

“If that is what you wish.”

“It is.”

He went to the cramp children’s bed, unwilling to oust her from the master bedroom. She made no objection to that.

**Day 164**

The warmth and effect were gone to be replaced with a coldness that comes from two strangers. Like before when they first crash landed. No, not quite like before. There was a hostile edge to the air between them. She pointed refused to look at him, ignoring his presence in the room.

Her cool presence drove him outdoors despite the snow and frigid air. Chopping wood, hunting, prepping for the journey to the science building kept his mind focused and away from last night. He grieved for the closeness they had shared and regretted it was he that had cut that bond between them.

It was good to end it now. If it was going to end in strife anyway then it is good to end it now rather than later.

That was what he told him over and over when regret began eating at him. It was like having some glare at you for a wrong that you cannot undo.

She is young. Not one day after we are recused and she is back with we Paladins, she will forget this. This will be a secret smile or even a regretful sigh within a few years time.

Will it be so for you?

I’m an old man. I feel my age coming in my like the encroaching snow. I feel the aches in my bones when the temperature drops. I see the lines of it in the mirror. She doesn’t need an old man like me. A girl who lost her father can imprint on another mature man and can mistake those feels for sexual or romantic.

That is not fair to her. Nor to you.

Inevitably the night came back and returned indoors. She was sitting at the table with several bags packed and ready for tomorrow. A piece of twine was giving her a hard time. It twisted and rolled between her fingers as she struggled to tie it around a satchel. She relinquished to him when he offered help.

He tied it easily and set it aside with the other bags. Taking her acquiescence as a sign of good will, he felt encouraged to say, “I can go alone if you rather stay behind.”

“No, I shall go. I need to.” For the first time that day, she raised her eyes to meet his gaze. “And I must apologize for last night. I had forgotten my duty as Princess of Altea and I demanded more than you were willing to give.”

She was being formal with a straight back and head raised as if were addressing heads of state. He bowed his head slightly, “Princess, I gave myself willingly to you.”

There was a slight movement of her lips. “Of course and I thank you for that. I take it that you wish to keep what transpired here quiet?”

So it was to become a dirty secret then? Pain lanced through his chest and it had nothing to do with physical injury. He didn’t want this, he realized, but it had to be this way. What he had told her last night hasn’t changed.

“If that is what you want,” he said, not meeting her eyes.

“I don’t see how it is anyone’s business but ours,” she said stiffly.

**Day 170**

It took longer than expected to find the science building. They only brought a five day supply of food, but the game was plentiful in the area and the weather held up.

He found a self-inflating tent in one of the houses. It must have belonged to a survival enthusiast as there was a bounty of camping gear in one of the closets. There was even canned food and a device that melted and purified snow for drinking water.

Kolivan wondered what might have happened to the owner. Was he killed before he could flee the village with the gear that would have seen to his survival in the wilderness? Or had he refused to leave behind his friends and family?

The tent was roomy enough for the both of them and warm despite the frosty air around the princess. He felt her anger and pain as he felt the cold through his fur and bones. Though he had tried to end things as amicably as he could, he had still hurt her.

Once, Lance, the Blue Paladin had mentioned something about women being scorned. It didn't mean anything until the princess thumped a bowl of stew in front of him with such force that it nearly spilled across his lap. She barely spoke, following him as he led the way, breaking the snow so it was easier to pull the burdened sled uphill. They traveled at day so they wouldn’t miss the science building and they stopped and rested when night came.

Before that night, they would share conversation over meals. Now they rarely spoke a word save for consulting the maps and pictures. Allura said they needed to head west, but he surmised that heading north might get them closer to their goal. He couldn’t be sure if she was being contradictory or believed in her assumption. They compromised by heading northwest.

Taking great care not to damage the components nor get them wet with snow made traveling slow. Allura had painstakingly wrapped them in dry leather and covered them with blankets. If the components were damaged, then this whole trip would be for nothing.

Everything would be for nothing, he thought bitterly. Returning to the pod, preparing for this outing, and, above all, breaking her heart would have been for nothing. II If we don’t manage to get a signal out there and summon rescue, then we’ll be trapped together with her hating me. If only she hadn’t brought up that foolish notion of staying here forever, then I could have waited until we knew whether this was going to work. If it had, then I could have gently pointed out how it wasn't going to work and if it hadn’t . . . we would still be together.

A wave of depression swept over him like a black tide. For several long minutes, he hated himself for what he had done. Why had he ruined something so wonderful and precious? How could he have hurt someone who had become most dear to him? For pragmatism? Some foolish noble notion that he had to be the grown-up for both of them?

He forced himself to mumble a litany for a clear mind and a peaceful heart. The blackness went away but left behind a residue of doubt that clung to the back of his mind.

It was at the cusp of night that Allura saw the science building. They were stopping for camp as the sun was setting. Something metallic caught the light just before it slipped away to give way tonight.

“Look there!” She cried pointing at a range of hills.

He lifted his head in time to see it as it blinked away. “It’s too dark to go now. We’ll lose our way. Let’s wait until we can see it again in the daylight.”

Just like that, the antipathy from her evaporated. Her hand touched his in sudden joy and his body reacted with a small feather of pleasure at the warm of her skin. It was as familiar to him as his own skin. The memory of her hands on his body plagued him through the short night.

It was just physical sensations. His body was acting of its own accord around a young female isolated with him. Once they were rescued and parted ways, this longing would fade with the memory. Until then, he must focus on the mission at hand.

**Day 171**

When sunlight poured across the land, they could see the rectangular sharp of a building at the crest of a hill. It took nearly two hours to make it there with the care they took with the sled carrying precious cargo. There was anxious energy in them that wasn’t there before.

The building was whole and untouched. It looked as it did in the photo, almost surreal as if the natives from the photo could step around the corner. The front doors were magnetically sealed shut with a sign that could read as Closed across the front.

Kolivan pushed away from the sign and held his breath as he ran a scanner over the doors. It read minute energy levels still running through the doors. It wouldn’t be enough to open the doors, but it could part the middle enough for a slim tool to lever the doors opened. Gripping both sides of the door he managed to force the doors open enough to allow them to side in. The sled was too big to go through so they passed the supplies and components through.

The interior was freezing, with no source of heat to trap inside. With their breath dancing in the air, they lit the lanterns and explored the interior. The front door opened into a lobby where a reception desk still had a visitor’s guest opened with a list of names of the facility’s last visitors name etched in ink. It was ghostly darkness around them in catastrophic circles, kept back by the light. If anything was hidden away in the corners, watching them, they wouldn’t see it.

“There must be a generator or auxiliary power,” she murmured, standing close to him. He couldn’t be sure if she was aware of how close she was standing to him.

“We need a map,” he murmured more to himself than to her. That was one thing they couldn’t find from their research; the blueprint of the facility. The only option was to explore and map it out as they went.

They found the employee area complete with restrooms, locker rooms, and a break area. They found packaged food to supplement their rations. There were abandoned coats and belongings that will never see their owners again. At the back of the building, there were stairs leading down into a basement. The door was locked, no not locked, but blocked off. He had to use all his might to force it open. The princess added her shoulder to the effort.

On the other side, furniture had blocked set against the door. Chairs, boxes, tipped over and screeched across the floor as they made their way inside. They looked at each other in bewilderment at the furniture. There was no way this was done from the other side. It was as if someone had barricaded themselves inside. It was the first sign they had found of someone defending themselves.

Were they still down here?

“They might be alive and afraid,” she whispered, her eyes peering into the darkness. “Let me go first. They might be frightened if they see a Galra.”

As much as he saw the logic in her leading the way, he didn’t want her taking any risk. If someone had been isolated for so long, they might not be in their right mind. He didn’t argue and let her take lead, but he stayed close behind her and held the lantern to light her way. Rows of forgotten furniture arranged like small barricades that were pushed aside.

She called politely into the darkness. “Hello? Is anyone there? We crash landed on this planet. My friend and I believe we can send a signal for rescue, but we could use your help. Hello?”

They came across a table set for two with food molded and ancient. Kolivan began to fear the worse which was confirmed when they came to a sleeping area. There was a thick sleeping back on the ground with small knick-knacks around it. A lantern that had long since run out of oil sat on a box next to the corpses.

“Oh dear,” Allura whispered drawing back in dismay.

It was skeletal remains, too far gone for rot and smell. All that remained was bones, dust, and ratted clothing. One set of bones was sprawl across the lap of the other which was leaning against a wall of boxes.

With his mouth set in a grim line, he stepped forward to inspect them and found the gun. He checked it and found it was empty. The last shot was put to final use. Tossing it away, he stood and turned back to her.

“She died and he killed himself,” he stated almost impassively.

She had stayed back and stared at the bodies in sorrowful silence. “Why do you say that?”

“The body lying down is smaller with delicate bones, usually a sign of sickness or starvation. The larger body has a hole through the back of the skull.”

She lowered her head, biting her lip. “So she died and he couldn’t face life without her. How long do you think they hid down here?”

“Long enough to make this place a home,” he said looking around. “Meaning they had access to water and heat. There must be a power source down here.”

“We should bury them,” she insisted.

“We can honor them once we finish here. They’ve been like this for many years, a while longer won’t shame them.”

**Day 172**

They found the generator not far from where they found the bodies. It was easy to operate, but there was very little fuel left. They would have to use the generator sparingly until the communications were ready. The worst part was they couldn’t heat the building without spending all the fuel.

The second level held offices that offered very little in supplies or tools. The third level is where they found what they’ve been looking for. The science rooms were locked but opened as they had down with the front door - with force.

The main lab was a row of panels around the base of a satellite. Snow seeped from the large hood from where the satellite was built. It was almost unreal that they had finally arrived at where they had struggled to arrive at for so long. They had fallen in love and broke each other’s hearts over this room and here it was before them.

She almost demurely reminded him that they had buried the bodies. Respecting the dead gave them some means of delaying the task before them.

It was no question in burying them together. They even place them side by side in one large hole. The ice and snow claimed them in a nameless grave. They erected a small cairn of stones to make the grave.

Very little work was done that day. Most of it had been exploring and carrying the supplies to the lab. They created living quarters in a side room which may have been the director’s office. The desk was pushed the side of the wall to be used as a work table and clear the floor to make room to sleep. There were no windows on the upper levels so they had no idea if it was light or day. Fatigue was claiming them and they would be more focused and clear minded with rest. Yet rest was not easily claimed.

He listened to her shift and curl. Her slim body contorted and braced on the blankets and the fur brushed his arm as she pulled it across her body. Most of the animosity may have been left behind in the science building, but it was too soon to test the waters. It wasn’t until she moaned that he found himself wanting to give comfort.

“Do you want me to bring a lobby couch in here? It’ll be more comfortable than the floor?”

“No, the floor is fine. It’s comfortable enough.” She was quiet  
for several minutes and still. Just as he believed she had fallen asleep, she said, “I’ve been thinking about the people we found. Do you think they were married?”

“I do not know. There were no wedding bands nor anything to indicate marriage. Perhaps they had markings on their bodies that withered away after they died.”

“Maybe they were lovers? Young lovers that hid away in the dark.”

“Or they could have been siblings?”

She fell into a thoughtful silence. He turned his head to see her side facing him. Her hair was tumbled across her shoulder, still, pearl white to his dark vision eyes. Maybe she saw him looking at her or sensed it as she shook her head. “I don’t think so. It didn’t feel like that down there. It felt like home.”

“Siblings and friends can share a home.”

“True, but that’s not what I meant. There was an intimacy there. There was two of everything - two plates, two chairs, two, cups, but there was only one bed. Like it was at the cottage . . .” Falling silent, she curled into a fetal position, her hands lying open on the floor.

That hovered over them for a long time. The black feeling was returning again and it took great will not to reach over and draw her close to him. He could almost feel her body against his chest, feeling her breathing and heart beating in his arms. To taste her mouth and smell her air and hear her sigh.

He rolled to face away from her to keep himself from reaching for her. As if it was catching, his thoughts drifted to the bodies. They had hidden before whatever befell the natives happened to them. It was possible they saw the danger coming in time to save themselves with no chance to warn the others. They were the only bodies they’ve found since arriving on this planet. A clear sign the Galra had enslaved them or taken them elsewhere for the slaughter. He was almost relieved they didn’t see any bodies until today. Yet, for some reason, seeing the dead lovers, as she called them, seemed more devastating to her.

How would he have reacted in the dark? Feeling his lover’s life ebbing away until she was a heavy husk in his arms. To face that darkness alone with the warmth of her next to him. Kolivan could see why the barrel of the gun might seem inviting.

**Day 175**

It was trial and error molding the hi-tech components with the outdated panels. They could only test it sparingly to save fuel for when it was time to send the signal. She pored over the pieces, fitting each one with care, not wanting to chance burning out the precious parts. Many times, she slammed tools down and wished with all her heart that Pidge or Hunk was there to figure this out.

“They’re the brains of our team,” Allura sighed after spending three hours wrestling with the wiring beneath the panels. “Or even Coran could have used his mustache hairs to wire this correctly!”

“There’s a few people from my team I wouldn’t mind working on this myself,” Kolivan admitted.

The supplies were dwindling. There was no game to be found close to the science building. Perhaps the construction disturbed their burrows or destroyed their food source. Hunting would take him further than he was willing to go. They were at a crucial point and what happens would decide whether they could find rescue or not. He helped when he could and stay out of her way when he couldn’t.

Finally, she approached him wiping stained hands on a towel. “I’ve done what I can. I’m too tired and hungry to talk about it right now.”

“Alright, let’s eat and sleep and you can tell me your news once we wake.”

He made her eat more than her share of the rations they had left. As far as he was concerned, she had earned her meal and a part of him wanted to care for her. Not in a romantic way (almost), but he didn’t like the circles beneath her eyes and feared she was becoming stressed.

Once she woke up, he handed her a cup of coffee and waited patiently while she drank it and became more alert. She set the empty cup down on the worktable that had once been a director’s desk and took on a serious look.

“It’s ready, but there are some complications,” she said lowering herself onto the floor. Crossing her legs she braced her hands on her knees. “The antenna is short range. It’s impossible to contact the Blades or the Castle of Lions with it. What we can do is send a short SOS signal with the planet's coordinates. Hopefully whoever receives it will send help.”

Kolivan’s lips tighten unhappily. “Anyone would receive it then. Pirates, slavers, or the Galra included.”

“Hence the complications.” Her mouth was set in a tight line and her eyes cast downward in worry. “Bottom line, if we send out the signal anything could happen. We could be rescued or attract dangerous people. Or, as another possibility, it’ll be years before friend or foe arrives or nothing ever happens. The signal will travel at only the speed of light so there’s no guarantee anyone will receive it anytime soon.”

It wasn’t what he was hoping for, but it was the only chance they had. “Would we receive any communications?”

“Yes, but the panels would have to be switched on and it’ll quickly drain our fuel. I can create a battery power receiver, but it’ll be short range only. They’ll have to be within orbit to contact us.”

“What do you suggest we do?”

Allura rubbed a hand over her face, still fatigued despite the food and rest. After a long moment of thoughtful silence, she said, “Let’s do it. I’ll record a message.”

**Day 181**

This is Princess Allura of the Castle of Lions. I have crash landed with Kolivan of the Blades of Mamora at these coordinates. Please send rescue or send word to Voltron that we are alive.

The message was sent during a long night. In celebration, they let the fuel run dry to enjoy being warm without having to huddle in blankets. Then they talked about what they would do next.

There was no reason to stay. The safest and most comfortable place was the cottage despite being the landmark for the formation and dissolution of their relationship. It was a good a place as any to wait for rescue, an attack, or wait out the rest of their lives.

The cottage was as they had left it. It was a relief for both of them to be home. Home, that is what it has become for both of them on this planet. Then they fell back into a routine. Kolivan went hunting while Allura tended the garden and cooked.

Though things were better between them, they were far from speaking casually to each other. The cool air had slowly reformed and she avoided his eyes and spoke to him only when he spoke to her first.

The days crawled by one by one until they melded into a predictable life.

**Day 220**

The dust settled across the receiver. Allura had placed it on the table and promised to alert him as soon as they got a signal. For a long time, it was the object of watchfulness and anticipation. Gradually, it fell into the background and was almost forgotten. Where Allura had handled it reverently, it now became a forgotten piece of decoration. Something of no use, but too valued to be thrown away.

Snow belted the window and he could see her at the window watering a flower pot. She had discovered a gardening kit from one of the houses and decided to try her hand at it. So far she had been rewarded with green sprouts from little black pots. It gave her pleasure to see them grow and it pleased him for her to find some passion.

She was becoming bored. A new sensation that crept up on them. After arriving there had been worries - finding food, staying warm, and to see if they were alone on this planet. Afterward, they had each other and then the mission to send an SOS. Now it was the waiting game. Potentially, any day now, they could receive a response to their call for help. Realistically, it could be a long time if not years or ever that anyone would respond.

It was hard not to dwell on it.

The feelings were still there. Every time he saw her, drew close enough to smell her, hear her voice, he wanted her. It had been easy to keep them at bay when it was believed that rescue was imminent. Now rescue may never come.

An unwanted voice declared that was reason enough to resume their relationship. That was a selfish part of himself that he refused to heed. She deserved to be more than a means to pass the time until rescue camed.

**Day 235**

“Your hair has become longer.”

He didn’t notice her standing behind him until the touch along his braid. When they were together, braiding his hair had been a morning ritual they both enjoyed. Since then, he had done it himself and to save time would leave it in a braid for days at a time, taking it out to be washed. This time, he had left the braid in for almost two weeks. It had become loose at the nap of his neck and was no longer in a tight plait.

She held it and examined the loose strands as if it was a wounded bird. “I can braid it for you again, if you like.”

It was the first time she had touched him since so long ago. Wonderful warmth flooded his sense as her closeness. Burning with a desire to touch her, he curled his hands into tight fists in resistance, but in the end acquiesce. “Yes, please do.”

It was astounding that she could still evoke such desires in him after so long. He thought they would have died or dampen at least, but they were still with him. Stronger now than were before he realized his attraction to her. What if they had been rescued and they left each other’s side? Would distance kill these feelings?

He sat on a low chair and listened to the storm billowing outside. A storm had crept down from the southern mountains, bringing with it freezing temperatures and a night that lasted days. Allura believed it was part of a seasonal cycle and that they could be in for rough weather for some time. Thankfully, they had plenty of wood and the cabin was well insulated  
to trap heat inside.

Allura unthreaded the plait and teased the brush through the white hair. The tip of the braid could almost reach his lower back, almost as long as hers. Actually, her hair was longer down too. It hung down past her hips, swinging against the backs of her thighs. She mostly kept it in her usual chignon, but lately, she’s been wearing it loose.

“Why a braid?” She asked as she eased out the tangles. “It’s something I’ve always wondered, but never thought to ask.”

“It’s a cultural habit from my people.”

“I would like to learn more about it,” Allura coaxed.

He shifted slightly on the chair enjoying her ministrations to his hair. “You know of Galra ancient history?”

“Yes. Daizabaal once held several warring tribes until they united under one tribe called the Galra.” Kolivan was reminded of when he learned of their history, back in minor school for young children. His father had been a dedicated soldier to the Empire and his mother had worked as an educator. “Most of the clans were able to keep their traditions alive throughout the ages and today. My bloodline can be traced to the Farlin people, as they were called ‘those of long hair’. The custom is when an adolescent reaches adulthood, they’re allowed to wear their hair in braids. The only time an adult’s braid was cut was when they lost a fight or was dishonored. Thus they wore their shame for all to see.”

“Did your parents carry on this tradition?” She brushed his hair until it almost glowed like silk and laid it flat between his shoulders. He stayed quiet for so long that Allura touched his shoulder. “Kolivan?”

“Yes,” he said, his voice was distant as if from another life. “And my father cut his braid when I was young, barely an adult.”

Her hand tighten on his shoulder and he laid his hand over it. It was dwarfed by his wider palm and it tremble like a frighten animal. “What happened?”

“My mother was a collector of texts and books. She believed that all knowledge was sacred and must be protected for future generations. I’ve often heard her say that the lessons of the past can prevent mistakes from being repeated in the future. That was all well and good, until she began protecting scrolls that went against the Empire’s dogma.”

Allura separated his hair into three strands. “What were they about?”

He could smell his mother’s library now. Dust, leather, and oil filled the air as she worked to restore damaged tomes and scrolls. There was always the sound of pages bring crinkled and flipped. His mother had been one of the few Galra that wore spectacles for her eyesight. She was never one have the patience to get surgery to correct her vision. The only things she found time for was her son and her books.

“The ones the Empire found most offensive and written by ancient Galra, before the rise of the Empire. Philosophy and essays that went against Zarkon’s doctrine of the strong ruling the weak. ‘Strength through mercy’. ‘Love thy enemies as you love thyself’. ‘Respecting and learning the cultures and customs of other races can improve ours’. These are just a few examples of what Zarkon would want never made available to the public."

“What happened to her?” Allura began weaving his hair.

The motion relaxed and soothed him. The old memories trinkled back to him. He viewed them as old images of another life. “There are groups called Domestic Committees across Galra space. They handle issues beneath the Peace Keeper's notice among Imperial citizens. They step in whenever they believe someone isn’t acting honorable as a Galra. Whether its drunken behavior or delinquency, they step in and deal with the issue. If they can't, or they consider severe enough, they bring in the Peacekeepers. They learned of mother collecting illegal books and tried to convince her to turn them over to be destroyed. She refused, of course, but did so in a way that didn't offend the representatives. My parents were highly respected by the community so no more was done about it until it came to a head. Mother began secretly teaching the literature to her students.”

“Oh, Kolivan, they turned her in, didn’t they?” There was pity in her voice as she must be thinking of her own mother.

“I . . . I don’t know if they were the ones.” Kolivan’s brows furrowed at the memory. “Or if it was my own father, her husband, that reported her. He was a dedicated soldier in Zarkon’s army. For his wife to be arrested for treason shamed him, but he did his duty to the Empire. Even if it costed him his braid and his family. Shortly after my mother’s arrest, I was sent away to the Academy to save face.”

“I’m sorry, Kolivan. I had no idea that happened to you.” She released his braid and it fell across his back. Then she leaned against him, her face against the nape of his neck.

“It was years before I saw my mother again. After her arrest, she was sent to a rehabilitation center. She was there for five years before they deemed her fit to return to Galra society, but she was only a shell of herself.”

He remembered the woman who had been his dear mother and did not recognize him as her son. She was almost unresponsive unless she was frightened. She'd go into a panicked mode where she believed the enemies of the Empire were at the door. Other times, she looked for her son, never realizing the teenager who called her his mother was him. She was taken in by her family and his father was off fighting in a campaign. Well away from the damage he had brought on his family.

“I honored who she was by saving what she sacrificed her mind to protect. I hid the scrolls and books where no one could find them. Once I had graduated the Academy, I had them moved to a hidden bunker on an isolated moon. They stayed there for many years until the day came I left the Empire forever.”

He laid his hands over her arms, gently grasping them and pulling her close like a blanket. “Mamora. That’s the name of the philosopher Mother had idolized. He was a teacher who became a warrior to defend his people and coined the phrase Knowledge or Death. I named the Blades in his honor.”

**Day 240**

She was touching him again as she did before their involvement. The gentle caresses and stolen glances, but this time they were more sensual and familiar. Despite everything, she still wanted him as he wanted her. It wasn’t fair to use her, to change his mind after he so adamantly ended their relationship.

He went on long stretches of hunting to distance himself. He would be gone for many hours during the nights and return when he was certain she was asleep. There must be other cities far off that he could look for. There were books in the scholar’s library he could research until he found the nearest one. There could be more supplies and food there and maybe another means to send another signal. It would give him a good excuse to be away again.

He should have known she would suspect what he was plotting. One dark night, he returned from hunting and she was waiting for him, anger flashing in her eyes. There was a single lantern burning and it cast a luminous glow across her face and hair. It gave her an appearance of a wrathful goddess.

She seized him by the wrist and pulled him down until he was on eye level with her. The meat he had cleaned fell at their feet and uncaring of them, she stepped forward nearly treading on them.

With her face inches from his she said in a firm tone. “You are never to run away from me again, Kolivan. You may consider me a child, but I am not playing games when I say I love you. I don’t care what you say or do because I know you love me. Stop making me and yourself miserable by doing what you believe is ‘proper’. I don’t give a quiznak about propriety or appropriateness. We’re here on this planet for who knows how long, possibly to the end of our lives. And I refuse to spend one more second of it without you. From now on, we’ll make love before we sleep, wake up together and share breakfast. We’ll touch each other openly, speak freely, and love each other without guilt. I swear to all the Altean Gods, if you try to run away from me again, I’ll hunt you down and bring you back over my shoulder if I have to.”

Never before had he wanted a woman as much as he wanted her then. His mouth surged against hers, seizing her by the waist and lifting her up against his body. She clung to him like a second skin, hands shoving open his bodysuit. Soon there was a trail of clothing leading to the bedroom.

It was both new and familiar, enticing and comforting, and raw.

“I . . . I do not wish to hurt you,” he whispered into her ear. “It’s been so long and all I’ve thought about has been you.”

“I know you won’t hurt me and I’m stronger than I look.”

Then he made love to her with the vigor of a lustful Galra. The left leg at the end of the bed broke and they barely noticed, so consumed as they were with each other. And as Allura had promised, she was stronger than she looked. When the tide of passion ebbed, they were entangled together, hands linked, and bodies overlapping.

Allura kissed the back of his hand and declared, “Do we have everything sorted between us? No more guilt or regret?”

He nuzzled her hair, his lips grazing the back of her neck. “None. This is how it should be on this planet, between us.”

“And if rescue should come, we’ll deal with it then,” she promised. “Until then, we have each other.”

“Yes, each other.” He kissed her ear, drawing her close to him.

Within minutes, they made love again until hunger stoked other bodily needs.

**Day 330**

The planet had reached a warm season. The snow still layered the ground, but it was thin and the weather remained mild and kind. He was able to go out shirtless and feel the sun on his fur. He sank the axe into wooden post and tied down the load of wood on the sled. Though they were enjoying a warm season, he wanted to prepare for when the cold season would returned.

The sled had been polished and waxed to glide easily over the snow. The cottage had remained their sanctuary, but with a few additions. There was a rack for drying meat and a box to smoke meat. On the other side was a pen where small creatures were gamboling and mating. Soon there would be more of them for Allura to either release or serve for a meal. The garden had been expanded to include more types of vegetables.

He dropped the wood off at the woodpile near the cottage’s eastern wall and went inside after stamping the snow from his feet. Allura was sampling a spoonful of stew and seemed satisfied with the result. With a smile of welcome, she collected the two bowls they had and began serving it.

“Just in time,” she said setting his share on the table. “Hurry while it’s hot.”

He sat down, eager to begin eating. She seemed to be in a particularly good mood today. Did one of her experiments with cross breeding plants produce a viable subject?

“I was out scavenging yesterday,” Allura said as she took her seat across from him.

“Hmm-mmm,” was his response as he ate.

There were no more formalities between them now. He knew her body and soul as well as she knew his. It was no longer a dalliance or an answer to lust or loneliness. It was a bond he never experienced with anyone else before and he can’t imagine sharing it with another. Nor did he want to.

“Well, in the house I found a special room with furniture that might could be useful.”

“Once we finished eating and there’s time, we can fetch, but will there be room for it?”

“I think so. There’s the children’s room. We can pack up the bed away until it’s needed.”

He arched a brow. Something niggled at him, but he was too enthralled with eating to give it much heed. Allura looked particularly lovely today. He was eager to take her to bed once they finished this task she was speaking of. “What furniture did you find?”

“A rocking chair, a cradle, and a high chair. We can put the high chair in the kitchen, but there’s plenty of room for a cradle and chair.”

The stew was coughed up and he struggled not to spew it across the table. He wiped his mouth on a cloth and sat straight, his fur almost bristling. “Are you pregnant!?”

“No, I’m not pregnant,” Allura said coolly, not liking his reaction. “I’m an Altean. We can control our reproduction organs when we come of age. I wouldn’t make such a big decision without consulting with you first.”

He leaned back in the chair feeling almost relieved and a empty disappointment. Then he raised an eyebrow at Allura who was picking at something beneath a nail. “Do you want a child?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while,” Allura admitted. “Before we came to this planet, I had other things on my mind. The war, losing father, and Voltron had been what consumed me for so long. Having children was something that was so far off in my future, it wasn’t worth thinking about until now.”

He took a deep breath, feeling as if he were treading on thin ice. Things had been going to so well for them and now this bombshell had landed in his lap. He wanted to dismantle it and go on living life with her. “Do you want to have a child in this environment? On this planet so far from civilization that it may never see?”

Allura pursed her lips, her eyelashes lowered, shielding her eyes. “This place has been safe for us. We have plenty to eat and we’re warm here. I think a child would be perfectly safe with us.”

“I don’t doubt that,” he said touching her hand. It was warm and slightly stick from where she had used crushed roots to make a special sauce for the stew. “”But I would worry. What if something went wrong? Women can still have complications during pregnancy and delivery, especially without medical care. Why take the risk?”

“Because I love you,” Allura said raising her eyes to his. “I want to create something wonderful and beautiful with you. I want to have your child, Kolivan.”

Affectionate warmth spread through his chest and his hand tightened around hers. “It isn’t something that can be decided so quickly.”

“Take your time. We have plenty of it.”

**Day 350**

Many times he tried to dissuade her from wanting a child, but each time she had a clever riposte for him.

“What will people think of you, an Altean Princess having a child with a Galra?”

“My ancestor Queen Lina took a non-Altean as her consort and their child became the next ruler of Altea. A royal having a half-Altean child is nothing new in my family’s history.”

“Our child may never see civilization again.”

“Then he or she will know nothing but love from us. They won’t have to worry about peer pressure nor would we have to worry about someone hurting them.”

He tried the old argument about the lack of medicine, but she had a response for this.

“For every woman and child that died in birth, many more survived without complication. Both our people began without the advanced medical care that we enjoy today and we’re still here. I can’t say without any doubt that there won’t be problems, but the odds are in my favor.”

“Our child won’t have any playmates.”

Then she gave him a coy smile, “Then perhaps we should have two so they can be each other’s playmate.”

If she was any other female, he would have feared she would further her agenda regardless of his feelings about it. However, he trusted her not to do so unless she had his full consent in the matter. It was still beyond him how she would want a child and he began to fear that he wasn’t enough for her anymore. He never voiced this fear to her, never wanting her to think less of him for it.

He never considered having a child before. His life had been one of dedication to his duty. First as a Galra soldier climbing the ranks of the Hierarchy and then to the Blades of Mamora. It was every Galra citizen's duty to have strong kits to strengthen the Empire. Most would do research on a potential's familial background to ensure pure bloodlines. As the Leader of the Blades, it was too dangerous to have anyone be close to him. There have been lovers and those he cared for, but never like it was with Allura.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he admitted one day.

Her head was on his chest, their fingers link across his stomach. The bedclothes lay like silk across their legs and the room smelled of sweat and lovemaking.

“You won’t lose me,” Allura promised him.

“So much can go wrong with a pregnancy not monitored by a doctor. If something goes wrong, then there’s nothing I can do to help you or the baby.”

His arm tightened around her and the one thing he had avoided most in his long life had already happened - he had someone that would kill him to lose. Not since his mother had he allowed himself to become so close to another and never like this. If anything happened to Allura . . .

He flashed back to the bodies they had found in the basement of the science building. The male had blown out the back of his skull rather than face life without his loved one. That was waiting for Kolivan if Allura should perish. After having known her, to love her, anything else or less wouldn’t be worth living without her.

“You’re not going to lose me,” she promised. “I’m aware of all the risks to my health and the baby. Altea has its share of stillborns and mothers dying in childbirth. Did you not think that if I wasn’t confident I would survive this, that I wouldn’t risk it? That I wouldn’t risk putting you through what that poor man went through in that basement?”

So she was following his thoughts. “Is this what you want?”

“Yes, but I want us to want it together,” she said drawing her body atop of his. Smiling down at him, her hair formed a canopy that blocked out all the Universe and there was only them. “I want to have this for your sake as well as mine. It’s because I love you so much that I want to give you this. I . . . I can’t put it into words, but this is something precious that I want for you because you've lost so much.”

He cupped the back of her head and drew her down for a long kiss. It was several heartbeats before he released her, his nose touching hers when he gave his consent. “Let’s do it.”

“I’ll need a day to . . . ‘prepare’ myself.”

“I’ll fetch the baby furniture while you do so.”

**Day 450**

Her body was changing before his eyes. At first, there was little change, save her some irritability and an increase in appetite. Then gradually, a gentle swelling formed at her middle. He first noticed it while caressing her in the early morning of a brief night. His fingers lightly curved over the slight rise of her stomach and a deeply ingrained pride formed in him. It was a natural instinct to take pleasure in seeing a mate impregnated by their own seed.

She complained about no longer fitting in her suit, but he assured her she was lovely no matter her figure. Often, he saw her peering at her reflection in the mirror, turning this way and that to see the changes in her body. For some races, pregnancy and delivery could be punishing to the body and spirit. However, Galra found giving birth simply uncomfortable. Barring any complications, nothing more strenuous than dealing with intestinal gas. He asked her how it was for Alteans.

“Due to our ability to shapeshifting abilities, the delivery isn’t quite traumatic. There will be discomfort and pain, but I have dealt with far worse. Do not worry, I’ll be fine.”

Yet, he did worry and hovered over her. He refused to let her go outside by herself and insisted on doing any lifting or difficult chores. Grateful for the pen of game she tended to, he didn’t have to go out hunting as often and could watch over her. Every time she felt unwell gave him such anxiety it was hard to sit still or rest at night.

She scolded him, told him that what she was feeling was normal and part of pregnancy. However, she did become angry when he pointed out that this was her first pregnancy. Unless there was something she was keeping from him. He hadn’t meant to be impudent, but he was frustrated with her for making light of what he feared was a sign of an impending miscarriage. She didn’t speak to him for nearly one day and only smiled at him until he apologized many times.

The baby didn’t become real to him until he felt the small movements within her. A flutter of movement against his palm gave him a sense of anticipation and great joy. For days they considered baby names for both boy and girl. They decided on her father’s name, Alfor, if it was a boy and his mother’s name, Bree, if it was a girl.

Midway through her pregnancy, the cold season returned. Every morning, he had to dig a path from their door to the yard. It was fortunate he had the foresight to build a hutch for her livestock or they would have all perished in the sudden freeze. The good part of the cold was that it kept Allura inside during the weeks of advanced pregnancy. It was harder for her to maneuver and she complained of her lower back hurting.

Several times he regretted his consenting to this propagation of their home. He was anxious whenever she rose from her bed and until she went to bed. He found himself moving things closer to her so she wouldn’t have to walk far nor get up to collect them. Somethings he was underfoot or in her way in his strive to help her.

“Would it make it easier for you if I was under bed rest until the baby is born?” She shot him a look when he jumped up to collect a spoon for her when she forgot to collect one before she sat down.

“Would that be an option?” He glanced down at her burgeoning belly that was touching the edge of the table.

“No, it is not,” she said with an arched brow. “Stop hovering over me and relax. The baby and I are both healthy and there are no problems for you to worry about. Keep this up and I’ll start to believe you want something to be wrong.”

“Never,” he assured. “Don’t ever think that.”

**Day 500**

Ice crusted his brow and he bowed his head against the wind. Flakes fell against his hood. The cold seeped through his coat and fur, chilling him to the bone. He grasped the spear with both hands with his body crouched low. Allura believed he was out getting firewood because he lied to her.

A day ago, he found droppings at the edge of the cottage grounds. He recognized them as belonging to the snow beasts that attacked Allura long ago. They must have depleted their hunting ground and left their territory to find food. One must have scented Allura’s livestock or, worse, scented one of them.

Imagining one of them attacking his pregnant mate infuriated him. It with was dark anger that he sharpened a spear and sheathed his blade. If Allura knew what he set out to do, she would worry for him. She was due any day down now and undue stress may induce labor. He wanted to be there when she went into labor, but he didn’t dare let this beast wonder about freely.

He kissed Allura and told her he would be out collecting firewood and went on the hunt. Two hours later, he found the remains of a game creature. The blood was still fresh on the snow. Kolivan found the telltale runnels in the snow and followed it, watching for black dots in the snow. His breath streamed through the cloth across his mouth.

His feet made no noise on the snow. A white fur cloak provided camouflage among the snow drifts. His ears were pricked for any movement not of his own. He took notice of a tree with claw marks, likely the beast had stopped to sharpen its claws after a successful hunt. Since it had eaten, it may have returned to its den until it needed to hunt again. Following back to its den may be dangerous, but if these things nested and it was this close to their home . . .

He shuddered at the implication and it strengthened his resolve to be rid of this potential threat. If these things  
burrowed, then the nest was likely underground. Or they built igloo-like structures above ground for their young. Reaching for a satchel at his hip, he removed a sealed container filled with special bait he made for this excursion. He had slaughtered a game creature for the pantry but kept the bladder intact along with blood and bits of meat. He composed a potent mixture that should draw out any hungry predator. Even if the beast had already eaten, it may not resist food so close to its burrow.

There was a long tree clinging to the slope of a hill. The branches were gnarl and thick, devoid of any foliage or leaves that could offer cover. He spread the bait around the base and climbed up. The wood was as white as his cloak and he leaned against the thickest of the branches to blend into the surface. With eyes on the ground for any movement, he meditated and waited with the spear grasped in one hand while the other anchored him to his hiding place.

At the edges of his meditation, thoughts unfurled like ink in water. Allura was certain the baby was a boy and kept referring to it as Alfie. She was getting so big that he suspected she was having twins. He didn’t dare share that thought with her lest he got another silent treatment. Her short temper was due to her impatience with her pregnancy. She declared that if she didn’t give birth soon she was going to make him have sex with her to induce labor. While he still found her lovely, he feared hurting her and the baby if they engage in anything more than kisses and caresses.

Though, he didn’t doubt she couldn’t force the issue if she decided to do so and whether he would have resisted. It had been a while since they last coupled.

Movement. It was slight, snow rising and falling several yards away. Every muscle in his body tensed and fur bristled around his neck and chest. Holding his breath, he waited and watched.

Two dots appeared like black pearls against the white snow. They moved soundlessly towards the tree. Kolivan braced his legs, readying the leap. If he aimed well, he could kill it upon impact.

Wait. No. There was another set of dots in the snow from coming from the opposite direction. Damn, there was two after all!

He drew back at the slightest, his mind racing to recalibrate his strategy. Was it a rival for the supposed meal? If there was a territorial fight, then he could wait and deal with the wounded victor. No, it wasn’t a rival. There was a tactical aspect to this. They were surrounding the tree and closing in together. It was a mated pair working together to hunt.

Though he had figured it was possible to be more than one, he hadn’t planned on taking on two at once. He could kill one instantly, but the other will attack in that same moment. Thankfully, he had brought with him two weapons.

He had to time it right and if anything was off, then he would be seriously injured or killed. Allura would be alone with the child and never know what happened to him. An image of the bodies in the basement flashed through his mind’s eye and he was determined he would not fail.

Several pulses of his head passed as he waited, timing it just right. If anything was off, if there was hesitation or a misstep, it would spell his demise. Slowly, the dots approached and a head pushed through the snow to take a confused sniff at the bait.

Then Kolivan jumped. With the spear held vertical with the sharp tip aimed downward. Before the beast had a chance to notice the growing shadow, the spear pierced through its skull and brain. It died instantly without making a sound. Seconds later, an enraged roar bellowed over the snow behind him. He turned at the hip and threw the eldritch glowing blade.

More seconds passed and Kolivan rose, tugging the spear free of the dead beast’s skull. Its mate lay in the snow, the blade ebbing from its throat. Blood spilled across the snow and more gouted out when he retrieved the blade. After cleaning the spear and blade in the snow, he tied cords around the beasts’ hind legs to be towed back to the cottage. Allura will be furious, but so much meat and fur couldn’t be turned down to save him from her ire.

The sun was creeping towards one of the larger moons to bring about a brief night. The temperatures will plunge to a marrow-freezing level, but there was something he had to do first. It shouldn’t be far from here.

After walking for twenty minutes, he found the pile of ice and stones. Levering the larger stones with his spear, he revealed a nest with several furry younglings inside. The sounds they made were pitiful and made this task all the more distasteful. It was kinder not to leave them here to starve or become prey for another hungry predator. Also, it would send a message to other beasts that this was not a safe place for a nest thus protecting his own nest at home.

After the grim job was done, he cleaned his spear and returned to the tree. He secured the ropes his waist and towed the corpses behind him towards the village. Night fell, casting a freezing blanket over him. Snow fell against his upturned face. In the distance was the glow of a lantern from the window, a sign that Allura was waiting up for him. She must be fretting as he was gone for so long. Lately, her pregnancy had made her quite emotional when she was upset. And he didn’t look forward to when she found out what he had been doing.

Resigned to his fate, he stored the carcasses in the meat house and went inside. He shook the snow from his cloak and stamped on the mat to shake loose any snow. There was silence in the house that unnerved him. Something was wrong.

“Kolivan?” A voice called to him from the bedroom.

“Allura,” he barked and hurried there uncaring if he tracked ice and water on the floor.

She was on the bed, panting, her face covered in sweat and her knees apart. Almost weeping in relief at his arrival, she moaned, “It’s time.”

His time in the Academy and his many years of martial arts training had drilled into him to act not react. Freezing could cost him a fight or his life. Having quick trigger reflexes and fast decision making had saved his life more than once. Now he was frozen, staggered by the event he had been anticipating for a long time. It was finally upon him and he had no idea of what to do.

“Koliva, it’ll be alright,” Allura said breaking him out of his moment of panic. “Get some towels and something for me to drink. We’ll get through this together.”

**Day 501**

When would it end? Allura endured the labor throughout the night and into the morning hours. Exhaustion was testing her endurance. The blankets were rucked up to her waist and she wore only a thin slip which clung to her in wet patches of perspiration. She was burning up to the touch and she begged for more cold water.

He cursed himself for consenting to this. Premonition had warned him about this and now it was happening there was nothing that could be done. If they were on a civilized planet or a colony, he could send for a doctor, a midwife, or even take her to a hospital or clinic. Here, there was nothing but the two of them. He did what he could for her: bathed her face with a wet cloth, brought her water, held her hands through the worst of the contractions, and spoke get her mind off the pain.

“I don’t understand why it won’t get on with it,” Allura panted. “I want this over with.”

“It takes time,” Kolivan said. He tried to sound assuring but feared it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’ll be over soon.”

Yet, more time crawled by and she still suffered labor. The sun rose and fell twice before it finally happened.

Allura’s eyes grew large as she arched her back. “It’s time!”

“Are you sure?” There had been several false alarms.

“Yes!” She cried. Her heels dug into the sheets and her fingers clenched his hand in a death grip.

It was finally over within twenty minutes. Prince Alfor the Second of his Name, born to parents Princess Allura and Kolivan was born. His skin was a soft lilac color and his hair was the pearl white color of his mother’s. With pointed ears, he favored the Altean appearance.

Allura held him against his chest, marveling at his presence in near disbelief. She stroked the edge of one tiny ear and whispered, “So you’re the one that’s been causing me so much trouble.”

Kolivan was almost too afraid to come closer. He still worried that Allura might have some internal bleeding. There had been some blood and it seemed to have stopped shortly after the baby was born. Now she seemed fine, more relaxed now that the contractions have ended. What she needed now was rest.

“Let me take him. You need to rest.”

“Just a few more moments,” Allura sighed with the air of a contented mother.

Alfor mew meekly, squirming as a cold air touched his tender skin. Allura drew the blanket over his back. “You should build the fire. I can feel how cold it is in here.”

“Yes. Right away.” That was something he could do with confidence in the first time since he returned home.

He didn’t realize he had started to weep until he was outside fetching more firewood. Despite the rising sun, the chill of night remained in the air. His breath streamed before him as he opened the woodbox and collected woof. Seeing the meat house reminded him of the beasts he had yet to clean. Once Allura and his son were resting, he would clean and skin them later.

There was warm wetness on his face. He touched his cheek and studied the drops of water. When was the last time he had wept? He had when his mother was arrested and that was the one significant moment he can recall when he openly wept. It was done in secret where no one can see or the Domestic Committee would accuse him of seditious behavior.

But these weren’t tears of anguish or sorrow. Allura was going to be alright, he could allow himself to believe  
that now. The baby was a fine son, his son. Now he understood why Allura insisted on them sharing a child. A child eternally linked them together as it shared their blood.

Meditation and litanies couldn’t stem the tide of tears. He sat on the edge of the steps and wept with a happiness he had never known before.

**Day 650**

“With? Da? With?”

He was adjusting his coat and looked down at the pleading eyes of Alfie. Small hands with tiny claws gripped at his pants leg to prevent being left behind.

Kolivan considered the request. They were enjoying a warm season, he wasn’t going far, and Alfie could play while he gathered wood. Then for the final verdict, he looked to Allura. She was letting out a pair of Alfie’s leggings and becoming quite frustrated with the process. Being half-Galra, Alfie had the growth spurts of a kit. It seemed that as soon as Allura dressed him in the morning, he outgrew the clothing by the time she put him down for bed. Raising her eyes to Kolivan, she gave him a grateful nod as having Alfie out from underfoot would help her concentration. Her sewing skills were self-taught at best.

“Alright, son, but you must do as I tell you and stay where I can see you.”

The round face broke into a happy grin and he darted between Kolivan’s legs to the door and began reaching for the knob.

“Get your coat!” Allura admonished. “Kolivan bring him back if it starts to become night again.”

“Do not fret. I’ll have him home long before night falls. In time for a bath.”

Alfie twisted around and scowled at his father. His abhorrence of bath time had led to many tears and struggles with both parents. “No bath!”

“Then no going with Da,” Allura rejoined.

The scowl darkened and fell into a pout. “Go with!”

“Then collect your coat and we’ll go,” Kolivan said. “And you will take a bath upon our return.”

Sometimes it bothered him that this planet may be the only world Alfie would ever know. Allura described to him what green grass looked like and that an ocean could stretch as far as the eye could see. He stared in wonder as if her stories were grand tales of fantasy that only existed in the imagination of a little boy.

Kolivan and Allura have been to many worlds and it panged them that their own son may never experience it. Never would he set foot on the sands of a water planet nor traverse the jungle of a tropical planet. The stars would always be specks of light in the night sky.

“I keeping imagining him attending school with other children,” Allura told him one night after tucking Alfie in bed. “He would excel in any of Altea’s primary school.”

Kolivan kept to himself that he could see Alfie succeeding in one of the Empire’s Academies. The child had a vivacious temperament for it.

Alfie leaped from the top step and landed in a pile of snow Kolivan had cleared away from the step. In the spirit of youth, he bounded along the narrow path to the sled leaving Kolivan to calmly shut the door behind them. He grabbed the ax from the small shed and some rope for the kindling.

More additions had been added to the cottage since Alfie’s birth. A stone path, a gated fence formed a barrier around the front and back yard, and a swing set had been raised. Alfie barreled through the gate and climbed onto a small seat at the back of the sled reserved for him.

Kolivan made certain he was sitting and covered with a blanket before towing the sled behind him. During the last two cold seasons, they had demolished most of the nearest houses, leaving behind the bare foundations. Eventually, they would have to start relying on the wood from the trees for fuel. The thought of it brought other concerns, but for now, he focused on his son and the chore at hand.

They passed down a street and stopped at a house that Kolivan had been dismantling for the last month. The houses have served as providers of fuel and building material for the cabin. After looting anything useful, he came almost daily to break it apart for the wood. Outside was a pile of furniture he had broken apart the day before. He let Alfie off the sled to play while he loaded the sled after reminding the lad not to wander off.

Alfie drew circles in the snow with a stick while humming an old Altean rhyme Allura taught him. His head was bowed with his face furrowed in a thoughtful frown that oddly resembled his. After he finished loading up the sled with kindling, he sat down on a stoop and watched his son play. His thoughts drift towards other matters.

Eventually, they were going to drain this village dry of resources and they would have to move on. It wasn’t a fond thought as this place has come home. He regarded the other houses and took comfort that it would be a long time yet before they would leave this place.

They could find another village or a city with plenty of resources. Maybe there would be another satellite, one powerful enough to make contact with help. They had only discussed it briefly once or twice but never brought it up again. The receiver had long since sat ignored and forgotten on the shelf. Something both regarded as useless, but too much of value to throw away.

What would they do if it should crackle to life with a stranger’s voice? They had accepted life on this planet because there had been no option of leaving. But would what happen if that option should become available?

“Da! Look it!”

“What’s that you have there, son?” Kolivan rose and quickly cross the short distance between him and Alfie.

Their son had the curiosity of any Galra kit and also had the ingenuity of an Altean to mire himself into trouble. It was on the side of caution to see whatever had garner Alfie’s attention lest it caused problems later. Fortunately, this time it was harmless.

Alfie held up an ornamental sphere that caught the light and cast the light upon the snow in colorful spots. It must have been inside one of the drawers Kolivan had thrown outside for kindling. He knelt with an open hand towards his son, “Let me see it.”

Then Alfie lowered his prize with a disconcerted look furrowing his brows. His parents had taken away prizes on the grounds they were too dangerous or filthy for him to have. And this one he very much wanted to keep.

“I will give it back,” Kolivan said.

Relaxed, Alfie handed over the sphere with the faith that his father would keep his word. While the boy had to use both hands to hold the sphere, Kolivan could easily roll it along his palm. It looked to resemble a paperweight or could be as valued as a precious gem. Deeming it has harmless as it appeared, Kolivan handed it back to Alfie and told him to keep it safe and take care with it.

“Things that beautiful tend to be fragile and could break if you drop it. If you do, fetch your mother or me. The pieces may be very sharp and can hurt you.”

“Yes, Dadee,”

“Let’s take it home and show Mother.”

Alfie walked slowly to the sled, safeguarding his prize in cradled arms. Kolivan wondered how Alfie would be when he was older. If he’s anything like Allura, he would have many questions about the Universe itself and want to see it for himself. Would the Universe be safe and liberated from the Galra? Or would it still be under Zarkon's control? And how would Alfie cope with having a Galra for a father once he learned of them?

“Dadee?”

He realized he had been staring at his son unmoving. “Oh, I’m coming, son. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

When they returned, Allura was impressed by Alfie’s discovery. She turned it in the light and watched the colorful spots dance on the walls. Repeating Kolivan’s warning, she said, “It’s not meant to be a toy, but you may keep it on the shelf in your room. If you break it . . .”

“Get Mummy or Dadee,” Alfie finished with a pleased grin.

“Now go put it away and play for a bit, but don’t wander too far. Dinner will be ready soon.”

Once his son was clear of the kitchen, Kolivan up close behind Allura, drawing her against him. She leaned against him, shivering at the cold still clung to his clothing. Kissing the back of his hand, her lips brushed his knuckle as she asked, “You didn’t see any more signs of those . . .”

“No, I didn’t. Don’t worry, I put out plenty of deterrents.”

The deterrent was a concoction of the beasts’ urine and feces along with scent glands. They convinced the other beasts that this territory was claimed and to stay away. On the side of caution, Kolivan always looked for signs when he went out on the odd chance of a beast prepared to accept a challenge. Their worst fear was for Alfie to be playing outside alone when a hungry rogue beast was out there.

“I want to try this new spice, but I’m afraid it might ruin the dish.” Allura picked up a small glass vial containing a peppery powder. “It tastes a bit spicy, but I think in small quantities, it would do.”

“You’re not going to use it in tonight’s meal?” Kolivan asked, his eyebrows raised in concern. More than one meal had been ruined by Allura’s culinary experimentation. It took them weeks to convince Alfie to eat stew again after the last time.

“Of course not!” Allura said swatting at his shoulder. “I learned my lesson!”

He would have continued to tease her, maybe even swept her up into a kiss. They could have enjoyed another hour of peace together if the receiver hadn’t crackled.

They both froze, every muscle tense and unmoving. Was it imagination? The sound was so brief and sudden. Alfie could be crumpling paper or a trapped insect was buzzing to get free.

Then it happened again. An airy sound with static and a distant voice.

“ . . . . lo . . . this is . . . .cepter . . .sage . . .ond . . .”

“Ohhhh,” Allura breathed, her eyes growing impossibly wide. “Ko-Kolivan . . .”

“Shhh.” He drew close to the receiver and slowly turned the dials to adjust the signal strength. “Listen.”

“ . . . . trans  
. . . located . . .respond . . . “

“Dadee?” Alfie appeared at the doorway, curious by the strange noise he was hearing from his room. Then he saw his mother with a hand across her mouth and eyes wide in disbelief. His father was bent over a device that had been sitting on the shelf untouched for as long as he could remember. “Mummy?”

Allura came to her senses and hurried to him, bending down to speak to him face to face. “It’s alright, Daddy is fixing the receiver.”

The child looked between his parents and looked unconvinced. He clung to Allura and fitted his legs around her waist when she picked him up. Large yellow and cerulean eyes watched Kolivan trying to strengthen.

The voice came in and out with every other word coming through clear. It was Universal Basic, but that didn’t mean anything. Both Galra and Coalition forces could speak it fluidly and the voice wasn’t audible to make out an accent.

Then the receiver went silent leaving behind a humm of silence that hung over the family. Kolivan straightened feeling as if all the wind had been knocked out of him. He turned to his mate who watched him over the head of their son. “Did you recognize the voice? Could it have been one of the Paladins?”

Allura shook her head, “I don’t think so. It’s been so long since I last heard their voices that I can’t remember them well. And there was so much static that I doubt would have if it was them.”

Suddenly weary, Kolivan sat down, his mind buzzing and almost afraid. Was this recuse coming? After so long? This was something they had been waiting for so long, wasn’t it?

He looked at Allura and could see that she was as lost and confused as he.

**Day 652**

They took turns listening to the receiver. One slept while the other waited with the device and it was never left alone in the kitchen. Allura shot it furtive glances, sometimes pausing when she thought she heard an odd sound. The light on the front panel didn't lit up and no sound came. Kolivan took it outside to see if the signal would strengthen, but still nothing. The damn thing remained as silent as the day they had managed to send off the SOS in the science building so long ago.

“Surely they would try again,” Allura said one late night. They were sitting together watching the receiver, their hands linked on the table. “It’s procedure to attempt numerous times to make contact.”

“They might not be working by procedure,” Kolivan said gently, stroking the back of her hand. “It’s possible they might have problems of their own and don’t have the help to spare. Let’s just wait a bit longer before . . .”

“Before what? We resume our normal life here,” Allura said with a half laugh. “I don’t know if I’m happy or not about all this. If they waited so long to contact us, then why bother doing so at all? Just let us live in peace.”

“Dearest, you and I both know that this was a possibility since that day.”

“And now it’s finally here,” Allura said tiredly. “If it was the Paladins they would have been here by now. We would have seen one of the Lions or Voltron itself. They certainly would have kept trying to contact us.”

“Very well, we can rule them out then,” Kolivan said rising to fetch another pot of tea. “The same could be said for the Galra. If they bother to answer a distress call, they would have sent scouts to investigate it.”

“It could be they’re erring on the side of caution,” Allura surmised, bracing on her chin on folded hands. “It’s a terrible thing, but distress calls have been used as traps before. Maybe they’re waiting to see if there’s any response and if there is none, they depart.”

He filled the pot with filtered water and set it on the stove. After tossing a log in to stoke the flame he regarded Allura in deep thought. “Then we should err on the side of caution too. From now on, Alfie stays indoors until we know it’s safe. I’ll hunt and collect wood at night and watch the sky. You’ll watch Alfie and the receiver in case they try again. I can’t imagine them not trying to contact us one more time before leaving.”

**Day 655**

Alfie was not a happy little boy. He was scared and confused and was acting out because of it. Allura had him sent him to his room for having a fit when she refused to let him outside. Then she had him stand in the corner when she caught him trying to sneak outside. She tried to explain to him it was dangerous outside, but he wouldn’t, or couldn’t, understand why he must be kept inside.

“He’s going to be bouncing off the walls like a Shroot baby if we don’t let him out for some fresh air,” Allura muttered one evening after dealing with a meltdown.

“A few more days,” Kolivan promised. “If nothing happens after a few days, we’ll let him play in the yard.”

That night, for the first time since the receiver crackled to life, they had sex. It was brief, but it reconnected them, gave them a reprieve from worrying. Kolivan stretched out on the bed, his muscles unknotting and the fur laying flat over his limbs. Allura braided his hair which had grown much in the past year, nearly reaching the middle of his back.

“If it is rescue,” she began parting his hair into three strands, “what happens next?”

They had mentioned the possibility of rescue a few times since the science building. Back then, it had been a pipe dream, something to wonder and even fantasize. Now it was a potential reality. It hovered like a shadow over them and it was time to consider it seriously.

“We could find out what happened after the battle.” Kolivan folded his arms beneath his head and enjoy the sensation of her touching his hair and scalp. “Best case scenario, Zarkon is dead and the Galra have lost their grip on the universe. And see if we are needed.”

“Needed? Would they still need us?”

“We’ll be heroes returned from the dead, maybe even thought of as martyrs. You founded the Coalition with the Paladins. People are going to want audiences with you. Myself, I must discover what has become of the Blades.”

She began lacing the strands together, her lips together in a tight line. “And what of Alfie? What about you and I?”

Kolivan took a long time to think. In the early days, Allura and him parting had been expected, even when they had first came together as a couple. Now seeing life without her was unconscionable. Even more so without Alfie. The child had never been without both of his parents and Kolivan had no intention of changing that.

However, if the Universe is still in danger. There would be fighting and if he was able to join the fight with the Blades . . .he had to go. And Allura would return to Voltron and fight with the Paladins. Looking over his shoulder, something passed between them, an unspoken understanding.

They would do what was best for their son.

**Day 657**

Kolivan felt ill at ease from the moment he woke up that morning. Breakfast laid like an iron ball in his stomach. There was electricity crawling beneath his skin, bristling his fur. He walked the grounds around the cottage and even surveyed the village. There was no sign of beasts, no torn bits of fur, droppings, or telltale dead game animals. Allura was content and Alfie was happy to play outside again. The receiver remained as dead as it had been for so long.

Yet, he had a hard time relaxing. It was both a familiar and eerie feeling that he couldn’t shake nor could find the source of. Everything was well as could be expected.

He finally got his answer when he noticed a shadow unfurling behind a distant mountain. A chilly wind swept over him, promising snow and ice. A storm was coming, a particularly strong one. That must have been what he was sensing. Relieved, but also apprehensive, he checked their wood supply and pantry. Both were plentiful, but he would feel better if there were more wood. He would also have Allura top off their water supply while it was light out.

With the source of his discomfort discovered, he was finally about to relax. However, the ill feeling returned more than once before night fell.

**Day 655.5**

The wind whispered a lulling song that drew into a deep sleep. Allura was warm by his side, her presence a pleasure that was integral to his peace of mind. Something drew him up from the deep blissful warmth of sleep. His mind rose to a level between sleep and waking. He was conscious but unable to form coherent thought nor recognize what he heard.

There was a weighted sound from the kitchen. A rhythmic scraping noise that repeated itself, growing louder and louder.

It stopped outside their bedroom door. Allura stirred slightly and pressed her face into his arm. Fingers lightly grasping at his fur in an unconscious affection. The doorknob turned slowly.

Finally, his years of training and experience caught up with him. As the doorknob made a complete circuit, he realized what it was that had been bothering him all day. That both familiar and eerie feeling that he had so foolishly ignored and did not recognize.

It was the feeling of being watched.

“Allura, get down!”

With the force that came from being a Galra, he shoved her off the bed and rolled off the other side as the door flung open. A bolt of light hit the bed where they had laid. Mattress stuffing rained over him with the odor of singed synthetic filling the air. His hand tightened around the lamp he had grabbed as he left the bed. Without power, it was useless, something they left alone as it offered some decor to the room. Now it would serve another purpose.

“Don’t move!” a voice cracked across the darkness of the room. Bright light burst from the source like a nova, momentarily blinding him. The wide circle of light illuminated the room. Kolivan squinted, trying to see the dark before behind the light.

As if sensing his intention, Allura distracted the figure, giving him an opening. “What do you want  
with us?”

The figure turned towards her, taking the light away which was what he needed. He threw the lamp and the missile hit its mark - the invader’s head. The man fell with a grunt, the light source skittering across the floor. Allura flung herself towards the gun with outstretched hands. Kolivan shot across the room with murderous intent. He pinned the man down before he could recover and slammed a fist into his face over and over.

A scream chilled his blood. More light spread appeared blinding him. The scream ended in soft frightened sobs that tore his heart apart. Eyes wide, he turned and saw two more figures standing behind orbs of light.

“Get off him and put your hands behind your head,” a deep voice ordered.

They weren’t Coalition, but nor were they Galra. Kolivan doubted they were from any organized group due to the patchwork armor and customized weaponry. A dark green Unilu aimed a large barrel gun at his head. Spiky dark hair was held back from his face with a dirty bandanna and a long scar bisected across his face. His companion was of a reptilian species with rich hue scales and stood a nearly a Galra’s height. Clenched at his side was a sobbing Alfie and in his free hand was a black blade.

“Put him down!” Allura screamed holding up the gun.

He wanted to tell her to stay calm. Right now, these men wanted them alive. The bolt their attacker shot was only to stun them.

“Put it down!” The deep voice belonged to the reptoid and his yellow eyes flashed at her. “I have no desire to harm a child, but by the Eggs of Yoranda, I will if you try me!”

“Allura, put it down. Now!” Kolivan said bracing his hands behind his head.

“Kolivan . . .” Her voice was weak, almost panicked.

“They have us outnumbered and they have Alfie. Put down the gun.” He wanted to tell her to trust him. Surrendering now may yield an advantage later.

There was a clunk as she gave up the gun and put her hands behind her head. Her lips trembled and her eyes glinted malice at the men who dared to invade her home and threatened her family.

The third man scrambled out from beneath him. He was shorter than his fellows with red headtails rattling in indignation. A boot rammed into Kolivan’s ribs almost doubling him over. The man drew back his leg to kick again, but he was halted by the unilu.

“Make yourself useful and put the cuffs on them,” the unilu barked. “You couldn’t even take two sleeping people.”

“Fuck you, Reef,” headtails snapped.

“Shush it until we get the job,” the reptoid snarled. “Reef, help Gregor while I hold the gun on them.”

Their hands were shackled behind their backs and they were frog-marched into the kitchen. Throughout the ordeal, the reptoid kept a firm grip on Alfie who was sniffling pitiably. Allura was visibly wretched, wanting desperately to hold and comfort her frightened son. Kolivan wanted the same, but more than anything he was angry with himself. He had let the domestic life had softened him and made him careless. He should have listened to his instinct when he knew something was off.

These bastards had been watching them and had seen Alfie playing outside and knew them to be a family. They were smart enough to secure Alfie first before going after the parents. He should have foreseen this! He should have laid out alarms or traps. He should have awoken instantly he heard the noise outside their bedroom. He should have reacted quicker and realize there was more than one.

No, there was room for regrets now. He had to focus on what he can do now instead of what he should have done in the past.

They were shoved into chairs at the table. With their prisoners restrained, the invaders became lax. Good, maybe he can use this to his advantage when the time came.

The reptoid set Alfie on the floor but held his arm to prevent him from running to his parents. He took a long black cord and looped it into a noose and tighten it around Alfie’s small neck. He tightened it snuggly until it indented the skin and clipped the other end to his belt. Then he eyed Kolivan and Allura with deadly eyes.

“I don’t need to tell you what will happen if you act out of line. In case you haven’t heard me the first time, I shall warn you one more time. I have to wish to harm a child, but I will if you try anything.”

Angry tears rolled down Allura’s face as she could barely contain her fury. “How dare you threaten a harmless child! Who are you, people?”

Kolivan guessed they were either bounty hunters collecting marks or slavers looking for an easy score. Either way, it didn’t seem like they had any intention of killing them, yet.

Allura's demands were ignored. The unilu’s lower set of hands had taken a datapad from his coat and was tapping on it. He held it up to scan them and then nodded in approval. “This is them. Princess Allura of Altea and Kolivan, Leader of the Blades of Mamora and traitor of the Empire.”

“Yes!” Gregor pumped both hands in the air. “We scored the big one! Two big ones! How much for the kid?”

“There’s no bounty on the kid, dumb ass,” Reef snapped, putting away the datapad. “Don’t you get it? They crash landed here after attacking the Emperor and played house.”

“Zarkon . . . is still alive?” There was a slight shake in her voice. Allura’s hands were clenched in the shackles.

The bounty hunters looked at each other, uncertain if it was etiquette to answer a mark’s question or not. The reptoid shrugged. “Yes and no. Zarkon's son is running things now, but no one can say for sure if its because Zarkon's dead or too injured to rule.”

“Of course, they wouldn’t say he’s dead or hurt,” Gregor muttered, shaking his head.

“What about Voltron?” Allura demanded.

“They’ve seen the Lions, but not Voltron itself.” Gregor shrugged.

“Enough talk,” the reptoid cut the air with a long clawed hand. “Gregor, go get the ship.”

Gregor’s countenance turned stormy. “It’s bloody cold out there. The nights and days of this planet are screwy.”

“All the more reason to get off this planet!” Reef growled. “Get going before I twist your headtails in a knot.”

Gregor muttered incoherent curses under his breath as he tugged up his coat. The door was slammed hard enough to rattle the frame and windows. At the fade of crunching snow outside, Kolivan thought to himself that now there were two of them.

The odds were better, but they still had Alfie who was crying softly. It rankled his fur when the reptoid patted the lad on the head as if soothing a frightened animal. No, don’t let the anger cloud your focus. Watch and wait. Watch and wait.

“Alfie, baby, are you okay? Did they hurt you?” Allura leaning as far as she could towards her son.

“He’s fine,” Reef said, rolling his eyes.

Alfie hid his face in his hands and whimpered, “Mummy, scared. . . scared. . .”

“I know, sweetheart, I know, but it’s going to be alright.” Allura forced a smile if only to encourage her son.

Reef made an undistinguished noise but said nothing to disprove Allura’s words.

Kolivan glanced around the room, at the cottage. They had made it their shelter, fallen in love within its walls, made love, and created a family and a life here. It was theirs and they it well, better than any their captors ever could. That was their one advantage.

“How did you look for us?” Kolivan asked to get the attention off of Alfie.

“Not long. Actually, we weren’t even looking for you.” The unilu began pilfering their pantry. He opened the door and took out a bit of cooked meat Allura had stored away for tomorrow’s breakfast and gave it a sniff. With a small nod, he bit into it and took a moment savoring it before continuing. “We were tracking another mark when we picked up your signal about several weeks ago. Weak, but there. Took Den there days to trace, but trace it, he did. Princess Allura and Kolivan, among the top most wanted people in the Galra Empire. You were believed to have either been killed or in hiding, but the bounties were never taken down.”

“Imagine our surprise when we got your SOS,” Den said settling back in a chair with a heave of his bulk. “We’re not ones to abandon a mark for another, but the reward for your bodies was too much to pass up.”

They were talking freely, making themselves comfortable as they waited for the ship. How long before Gregor returned with the ship? An hour? Maybe two? Gregor didn’t seem the capable sort and the storm would impede his trip. Where did they hide the ship? Was it orbital and he had to get to higher ground to call it down? They didn’t land it close or else they would have seen it, even with cloaking. Likely, they traveled here by terrain cruisers and stopped outside of the village so the roar of engines wouldn't alert them.

“Don’t touch me,” Allura hissed.

Her words cut through his concentration and he saw the unilu was no longer helping himself to the pantry. He was touching Allura’s hair in a way that nearly sent Kolivan into a fury. Long fingers threaded through the pearl white strands and his fur bristled.

Reef sighed and shot Kolivan an almost envious look. “I would give up two of my arms to be trapped alone on a planet with this gorgeous creature. I always heard the stories about Altean beauty and I see they’re all true.”

Den snorted, “Keep your head in the game, Reef. We’re not off this planet yet.”

“C’mon, they’re not gonna do anything while you got their kid. And how often are we going to get the chance with an actual princess.”

“Why don’t you try it?” Allura bared her teeth in a feral show. “If you think you can handle me, then do so!”

Kolivan looked at Allura in alarm. Why was she provoking him?

Amused, the unilu hauled her up by the arm with his right upper and lower hands. A third hand drew a gun from a holster as he towed her along with him. “This won’t take long.”

Kolivan roared hauling  
himself up. Den automatically jerked on Alfie’s leash making the boy yelp in pain. He froze in dismay, split in two between protecting his mate and keeping his child from harm.

“Sit tight,” Reef said tapping Allura’s cheek with the barrel of the gun. “I’ll bring her back after a while.”

Allura ignored the gun and the unilu and looked directly into Kolivan’s eyes. Something passed between them, a jolt of knowing and trust. Kolivan slowly lowered himself back onto the chair, his heart hammering in his chest. This was dangerous, even for him, but he understood her intention.

He focused on Alfie who had stopped crying and was whimpering as his mother was taken into his bedroom. The door closed with a definite click and it was through sheer will that Kolivan tore his gaze from the door and blocked his mind from thinking of what was happening behind it. He locked eyes with Den who was giving him an impassive look.

“Are you content to let your man rape a woman while her child and mate are in the next room?” Kolivan said coldly.

“I take no pleasure in it,” Den said with a shrug. “Reef considers it a perk of the job and no doubt Gregor will be wanting a go with her when he gets back. Me, I’m not into soft women like her. Don’t worry, neither of them is interested in children and nor would I let them touch your boy if they were.”

That brought no comfort to Kolivan. “You can go. Take your men and leave us in peace.”

Den snorted, a jovial smile across his serpentine lips. “What makes you think we would turn away from a fifty million bounty?”

“It’s either that or your life,” Kolivan said with the calmness of the reaper’s blade. “You won’t get a better offer than that from the Galra.”

Laughing, Den shook his head and grinned, bearing needle-sharp teeth. “I heard a lot of offers from hundreds of marks, but none of them made me an offer quite like that.”

“Don’t think of it as an offer?” Kolivan pressed a thumb against the meaty part of his other hand. “Consider it a warning. Leave us alone and live. Continue to threaten us and we kill you.”

A thin scaled upper lip curled. “We don’t need either of you whole. Just alive to prove to the Galra you’re who you are.”

“And who are we? Why do you think the Galra offer so much for us?” Kolivan said, lowering his ears, his eyes narrowing into fine points. “Princess Allura, who grew up during a Galactic War, trained by the finest Altean warriors, Leader of the Coalition, and leads the Paladins of Voltron? Do you believe a woman like that could be so easily assaulted by a low bounty hunter?”

Slowly, Den’s smirk disappeared as a dawning realization came over him. The next room was quiet, too quiet for what he believed was happening in the next room. He rose and reached for Alfie. In that instant, two things happened almost simultaneously.

Kolivan dislocated his thumb and slid his broken hand through the cuff. Then he threw himself upon the man before he could lay a finger upon the boy. Both men crashed to the ground while the boy was jerked off his feet by the impromptu leash. Den’s gun hand was pinned to the floor and set his free hand gripped Kolivan’s other wrist. They twisted on the floor, each pitting their strength against the other.

Kolivan hissed through his teeth, eyes glowing hot with righteous fury. “And I am Kolivan, Leader of the Blades of Mamora. I once served under Zarkon himself as his one of his High Commanders. Did you really think you could invade our home and threaten our child and leave here alive!?”

He slammed his brow against Den’s stunning the reptoid. Twisting his wrist free and releasing Den’s gunhand, he pressed both hands around Den’s head and gave it a violent twist. There was a wet crack and the reptoid’s body went limp.

Kolivan twisted around to find Alfie and found him huddled in Allura’s arms. She held him close while one hand held a knife she had used to cut the noose. Her hair hung over one shoulder in a long tangle and a forming bruise marked her cheek, but she was well and alive.

He pushed himself up and gathered them into his arms. Alfie began crying again, but they soothed him, assuring him it was safe now. His parents would never let anyone harm him again.

Kolivan looked over Alfie’s head into Allura’s eyes. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I wasn’t what he was expecting.”

“Is he . . .?”

“I believe so. I smacked him in the head hard enough to crack Alfie’s Rainbow ball.”

“I’ll go make certain,” Kolivan said rising slowly. “Take Alfie into our bedroom and stay there until I come for you.”

“What are you going to do?” Allura stood to tuck Alfie against her chest. She watched her mate with worried eyes.

“Wait for Gregor to come back and then deal with him.” Kolivan grimaced as he popped his thumb back into place. The pain radiated up and down his arm, but with mental litany kept it from overriding his sense of purpose.

Allura closed her eyes, not liking the idea of cold murder. Yet, her son was still quivering in her arms with a ring of bruises around his neck. With a grim face, she nodded. “What if we need to question them?”

“We won’t need to. We have their ship. We can use that to access the exonet.” Kolivan gathered Den’s body and hefted him over his shoulder. “Go and try to get Alfie to sleep if he can and get some rest yourself. We have much to discuss tomorrow.”

**Day 656**

The sun rose on three unmarked graves at the edge of the village. They would remain there for a few days. The snow will preserve the bodies until the beasts, tempted by the abundant carrion, dig up the graves and feed.

It took him many hours to find the ship, but it was where he suspected. On the other side of the mountain where it couldn’t be easily seen. It was a second rate skiff with customized parts. He could see some Olkarian influence melded with Galra standard design. Overall, it was in good condition with advanced modified parts.

Fortunately, there were no other crew members than the three who attacked them. And the ship wasn’t locked as the trio hadn’t anticipated having their failure. They were too cocky, almost amateurish, and they high underestimated Allura and himself.

What happens when others come? And they came better equipped and tactics? Or with more men?

They were lucky it was these three, but luck always runs out. It had been a peaceful life . . .

He flew the ship back to the snowfield behind the cottage. Soon it would be covered in snow and hidden from a sky view. He returned home to a jubilant Alfie who had seen the ship fly overhead and had hundreds of questions of how it flew. Kolivan scooped him up despite his swollen hand and kissed his head. “If you are good, I’ll let you sit on my lap while I pilot it next time.”

He carried him inside to see Allura setting the table. From the look in her eyes, he could see she was desperately trying to hide her worry behind their daily routine. He nodded to her, a silent indication they must talk soon after they finished eating.

He enjoyed his meal and took pleasure in sharing it with his family. Alfie amazed him by being chipper and seemed to have forgotten about last night. Allura chatted with him as she usually did around Alfie and gave Kolivan nervous glances, eager to hear what he had learned.

Once the meal was finished, Allura told Alfie to go play in his room. From Kolivan’s sudden look, she said in a low voice, “I straightened the room while he slept and I threw away his Rainbow ball. I don’t think he misses it yet.”

Allura made coffee while Kolivan sat at the table and unwrapped his hand. It was discolored and swollen, but would heal soon; a perk of being a Galra. “He seems happy after what happened.”

“He thinks it was a bad dream I want him to keep thinking that until he’s ready to understand what happened.”

He put away the first aid kit when Allura served the coffee and sat opposite him. It was time for the talk they both knew they may one have. It was strange for it to finally come when they least expected it.

Allura wrapped both hands around her mug and stared into it like a fortune teller reading tea leaves. Raising her eyes to his, she asked, “What if we stayed? Hide the ship and pretend last night never happened?”

He lightly tapped a claw tip on the table top, considering his answer a moment. “The message is still out of there. If the hunters could find it, then others will too. We would have to constantly watch the skies and may receive unwanted visitors again.”

Allura’s hands tightened around the mug. “What if we hid in the cave again? Or go to the science building? Maybe find another place elsewhere . . .”

“My heart, this planet isn’t safe anymore,” Kolivan said. He felt her sorrow as keenly as his own, but he must speak the truth. “If it was just us, then we would destroy the ship and head to the cave or take a trek over the mountains. But we have Alfie and we must do what’s best for him. You don’t want him to grow up in a cave much less in that dark basement of the science building, do you?”

Closing her eyes, Allura shook her head. “It doesn’t bear imagining.”

They sat together as they had done many, many times since making this cottage their home. It would be the last time and they wanted to savor it for as long as possible.

**The Last Day**

“Do you think he’ll sleep for long?” Kolivan said carrying the last of their supplies into the cargo bay.

“I believe so. He was pretty excited and stayed up late,” Allura said dusting off the front of her space suit. She retired it when she became pregnant with Alfie and it had been pulled out of storage. Her hair was pulled back into a long plait which she coiled around her neck similar to Kolivan’s.

The ship was stocked with rations and supplies that would last for many weeks. It also had plenty of fuel to get them to the  
next fueling station. And enough space for all their possessions they wanted to take in the cargo bay. Now they had only one more thing to do before they could depart.

Kolivan took her hand in his. “Let’s be done with this before he wakes.”

Holding hands they approached the cottage that had been their home for so long. It was where they had fallen in love, conceived their son, and raised him. It had been a home, a refuge from the long years of war and now they must leave it to return to war.

“We don’t have to do this,” Kolivan said holding an incendiary grenade from his belt. It had been claimed from the ship’s armory. It wouldn’t make an explosion, but it had a flammable liquid within that would burst into flames upon impact.

“We do,” Allura said taking it from him. She held it between her hands as if it were a precious egg. “If others come, then we want them to believe we were killed or never here. This cottage has our DNA all throughout its walls.”

She stared at the cottage for a long time, her expression peaceful and mournful. “And if I know this place is still standing, I’ll always want to come back here.”

She threw the grenade. It broke through the front window in a heartbreaking shatter. Within seconds the hot light of fire burst through the broken glass. They held each other and watched the fire spread over the wood, melting snow, and blackening the walls. They watched their home burn for a long time before Kolivan led Allura away as the roof caved in a shower of sparks.

Silent tears rolled down her face, but she walked with a strong step, matching his own. They were leaving the past behind them and going towards an uncertain future. They would find the Paladins and the Castle of Lions and reunite with old friends. They would make up for lost time and resume the war against the Galra.

When he asked Allura what she thought of taking Alfie into the Universe, she said, “I fear for him, but it’s better this way. He can play with other children and the Paladins will adore him. I can see right Coran calling himself Alfie’s uncle.”

There was no question of them parting ways. They would both go where they were needed most. If the Paladins were still alive after all this time, they could do without Allura’s guidance and if the Blades still function, then they had selected a new Leader. Whatever happened, where they went, they would be together


End file.
